The Convoy Chronicles
by Exalted Nemesis
Summary: RE:Extinction inspired She awoke in a strange room feeling the cold rush of air over her skin, the only thing that went through her mind was to escape. This is the prologue for my story and feedback on it would be great! Rated M for violence
1. Prologue

_I was kind of inspired to write this opening for my novel version of my series after watching RE:Extinction. _

_My version is very similar to what you see in the movie but there are some nice differences that separate it making a very sinister opening to the story. _

_Although this scene only has my two OC characters from Glass Hearts the other characters that are apart of the Resident Evil universe appear later on in the other chapters, this is just what you could call the prologue to the upcoming events. _

_Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I am thinking of either leaving this scene out of the final cut or maybe adding some more to it, enjoy!_

The girl awoke suddenly, feeling a cold rush of air wash over her skin.

Slowly getting into a sitting position she realized she was on a large bed.

The bed looked like the type found in medieval castles, it had thick velvety sheets and four large bedposts that had a thin pink veil lopped through them.

Sliding off the bed the girl slowly walked across the red plush carpeting taking in her surroundings.

Other then the bed there was an old wooden cupboard in the far corner, a small bedside table and a large mirror.

Although the girl had an instinct to leave the room the mirror caught her attention.

Walking over to the oval shaped mirror she saw a strange girl coming slowly towards her.

The strange mirror girl had a slender figure, dull sandy complexion, green eyes, short white hair and was wearing a grey tracksuit.

Seeing the stranger caused the girl to step back.

The mirror girl also gasped and stepped back.

The girl raised her left arm.

The mirror girl raised her left arm.

It suddenly dawned on the girl that the mirror girl was actually her. As she smiled at her reflection she heard a click at the far end of the room.

Turning towards it the girl realized that a large door was now slightly ajar.

Crossing the thick carpet the girl placed her hand on the cold metal doorknob. Taking one last look around the ornate room the girl opened the door and stepped outside.

Almost immediately the surrounding changed to that of a cold steel hallway.

The bright lights on the ceiling caused the girl to squint and at the same time shiver. The hallway was cold and strange unlike the room she had just come from.

Something compelled the girl to walk down the hallway, so she did, ignoring the cold floor underneath her bare feet. When reaching the end of the steel corridor the girl was met with another large wooden door.

Turning the golden doorknob she found herself in a well-decorated dining room. The dining room was furnished the same way as the bedroom.

A long table was in the centre of the room; all the places had been set with expensive silver eating utensils.

Although intrigued and confused by the room the girl knew she had to continue onwards. The dining room was not her main destination.

Walking past the table the girl heard a faint click followed by a whirring noise.

Instinctively the girl dropped to the ground as a hail of bullets whizzed over her head and into the table shattering the front end in a burst of splinters.

She only had time to catch a quick glimpse of her attacker, it looked like a black floating spear that had a small scale gatling gun underneath it. Again the spear machine fired this time at the grounded girl but she easily rolled out of the road and jumped up.

When edging towards the table a further two spear machines suddenly appeared and began firing at the girl.

Knowing it would be suicidal to fight all three machines the girl dove underneath the table. Above her the machines flew over the table searching for movement.

Slowly the girl crept forward listening to the high pitch whine the spear machines made, which sounded like a mosquito.

One of them suddenly dipped below the table and the girl knew she had been spotted.

The one underneath let loose a string of bullets while the other two began firing through the table. A few of the bullets from above caught the girl in the leg. She only gritted her teeth and rolled away from the second barrage of bullets. There wasn't any time for pain.

The spear machine under the table appeared to be stuck but that didn't stop it from firing at the escaping girl.

Snatching up one of the antique chairs the girl managed to knock one of the spears flying into the far wall.

When throwing the chair at the second spear it merely dodged aside.

As the gatling gun turret began to slowly spin the girl saw her chance and sprinted towards the wooden door on the opposite side of the room.

The spear followed her, letting loose a string of bullets.

Avoiding the gunfire the girl slammed the heavy doors shut causing the spear to crash into them.

The 'arrowhead' of the machine now poked through the shattered door.

Grabbing a hold of the machine's head the girl easily pulled it off. Throwing the sparking head to the ground she continued down yet another steel corridor.

This hallway however was longer then the previous one yet the girl pressed on keeping alert for any more floating spears.

When rounding a corner the girl saw her next destination, a large steel riveted door. In front of the door however was a strange symbol that had been painted onto the floor.

Seeing the symbol made her stop, she knew that in order to get to the door the bizarre red and white octagon shaped picture had to be crossed.

When stepping forward the centre of the symbol parted and a black spiked ball shot up into the air.

Before the girl could react more then twenty bullets hit her body. The girl fell back against the wall and slid down it leaving a large smear of blood.

The irony aftertaste of her own blood caused her to spit a large mouthful of it onto the floor.

Glancing down at her grey tracksuit the girl could see several large bleeding holes where the bullets had gone through.

Collapsing onto the ground she tried to crawl forward. Although the machine had disappeared she was going to reach the door.

But this only caused more pain and she could feel her own blood leaking through her clothes and onto the cold steel floor.

The girl began to feel light headed and weak as her breathing became slower, quieter. She knew that one of the bullets had hit her heart and nothing could be done to stop the bleeding.

Giving up on the door the girl rolled over onto her back, feeling a chill on her chest from the drying blood.

As her vision began to fade and her breathing ceased the girl stared up towards the bright lights, they seemed to engulf her entire body with light as her eyesight went from clear, to blurry and finally to darkness.

A few moments after the girl's death part of the wall in the corridor slid up and several people dressed in white bio suits walked forward.

One bent down towards the body and checked for a pulse, standing up the figure nodded towards the others and a few removed their helmets.

Two of the suited figures approached the girl's body and slowly took off their helmets in unison. One was an older looking man with pale skin, steely short blond hair and blue eyes.

Glancing at the body with a mixture of casualness and sadness he slowly shook his head.

"Shall we prepare the body for transport Dr Griffin?" a voice behind him asked.

Turning slightly Griffin only nodded and waved the young man away.

Getting out a stopwatch Griffin glanced at it, "This one lasted ten minutes" he said to himself, eyeing the bloody trail from the body he sighed. "They always go for the door"

An elderly man approached Griffin and handed him a clipboard, "All the data from this test has been gathered and the video feed is on its way, she was good, lasted longer then previous subjects and took out two Viserators in the second room, this could be a new record"

Griffin didn't even look at the clipboard, he only sighed and kneeled down beside the body. He lightly touched the girl's forehead before shutting her eyes.

Getting back up Griffin turned towards the man again, "What group did she come from?"

"Batch C, this one is the first from that series, we hadn't tested them out yet"

"How many more are there left in that group?"

"Four more, do you want to activate another or all of them?"

Griffin shook his head, "No I think what's best is that they're all scheduled for dissection and while you're at it prepare this deceased specimen for an autopsy this afternoon"

Hearing this the elderly man gasped and his eyes grew large, "But sir surely you'd want to keep…"

"Don't push my patience with you Henry you're already on thin ice just do as I say without asking meaningless questions!" Griffin snapped.

Henry quickly became silent and slowly backed away leaving Griffin alone.

Turning to watch the rest of the team remove the body and clean off the blood easily bored Griffin, he was thinking about what had just happened.

_So close yet so far away_ Griffin thought to himself. _I was certain that this one would at least make it through four rooms_ _still in one piece, all of them are missing something and it seems that Batch C only has a small speck of the original's capabilities_.

The medics had already picked up the girl's body and started to carry her towards the opening in the wall.

Griffin glanced at the limp bloodied body and smiled.

_Yes we were very close this time, but these copies aren't even close to the first specimen, they're only clones of a higher being, nothing good will come of them because the original Alyssa is the key, if she's found then all the answers will follow_.

Exiting the room behind his team Griffin closed the door and the hallway became silent once again.

_This is the start of my more serious writing of my series, seeming as this is going to be a novel with proper chapters and all. I just thought I'd test the waters to see if others are interested and hopefully I'll be able to add more to this story later on, believe me it's going to be good, what RE: Extinction should have been and only seemed to touch on. But hey I guess no one's perfect, if you like what you've read so far leave a review as they help me heaps! But thanks just for stopping by and reading this intro!_


	2. Preparations

_Many thanks to HospitalHorror, auroua258 and lurkerjenny for their great reviews! They have really motivated me to keep going with this!_

Chapter One 

The bright lights above shone down while nearby formless figures began to slowly move forward.

Three approached and peered downwards, their sudden presence blocking out the three circular lights.

All three figures were wearing surgeons masks making it impossible to identify them only their eyes were the one thing keeping them human however it was the last figure that stepped forward with their blazing cold stare that forced the others to suddenly part.

The surgeon with the cold stare only turned towards the other three who had now slightly moved aside, "She's still awake why isn't the subject completely sedated?"

"We just gave her the last injection it'll be a few minutes before it's completely circulated through her system" one of the other surgeons replied.

The one who had spoken before only nodded and picked up an instrument that resembled a pizza cutter. Switching it on caused the devise to make a sound like that of a dentists drill, "I'm just making sure you've all done your jobs properly before the operation takes place" glancing downwards the man spoke, "It'll all be over soon my dear just relax and try not to move so much, I'm afraid we have no choice but to start even if you are partly awake but you won't feel a thing I can assure you"

The strange cutting drill only seemed to get louder as the surgeon walked out of the lights and disappeared from view.

Darkness enveloped the room causing Alyssa to sit up right in bed, her left hand instinctively brushing against the back of her head.

Although she no longer had a scar or even evidence to suggest that anything sharp had cut into her head Alyssa knew that underneath her skull the dormant implant was there waiting.

Ever since Jill and the other rebels had liberated her from the Glasshouse Mountains facility she'd been haunted by the same dream.

_It seems to get worse every time, more detailed and real _Alyssa thought as she stared across the room.

A few feet away from her something moved and slowly turned to face her but this caused no reaction from Alyssa, she knew very well it was Nemesis.

The monster had preferred to stay at Alyssa's bedside for the past few weeks as though he could sense that something was different about her.

_He knows about the implant about what I had to do…_Alyssa only shook her head as she lowered herself back onto the bed, she didn't really want to talk to Nemesis at the moment but she knew that sleep would never find her again until the next day.

She only lay on the thick mattress in the large bare room staring at the white walls.

Alyssa's thoughts did drift back to when she first awoke after the operation, how Griffin 'led' her out of the room while uttering a few commands and she had no choice but to follow. How she stiffly stalked down the sterile steel corridor all the while fighting for her own free will.

Once Alyssa had broken free if only for a few moments, which was, enough to take out the two guard escort and sprint down the hallway.

She didn't get too far as that's when a group of armed men appeared from no where, one had a tranquilliser gun and the rest was just a black void for Alyssa.

_I could've been another puppet for Griffin, for Umbrella to control_ Alyssa thought shivering which made another disturbing thought enter her mind. _If Griffin could command me to follow him why not tell me to stop when Jill and the others rescued me?_

That had never sat right with Alyssa, ever since she had been freed it was a constant thought, Griffin had everything at his disposal to prevent Alyssa from ever leaving the facility yet it was almost as though he had opened the door and let her free purposely.

It seemed that Griffin somehow knew that Alyssa's escape would happen in the near future when talking to her the night before the complex was stormed.

He had entered the room where Alyssa had been restrained to the bed and smiled, "You have many great and wonderful things ahead of you my dear, there's so much in the your future even if I must one day let you go, I know you will return, you always have"

Shaking the entire thought off Alyssa continued to lie on her side in the darkened room and stare at the white wall in front of her.

The scraping and snuffling outside the bedroom door caused Jill to slowly open one eye as she attempted to struggle into a sitting position.

Beside Jill, Carlos rolled over and yawned before looking straight at her and frowning, "What? I don't have a huge wart on my face or something?"

Jill only sighed and shook her head; despite the house having three separate bedrooms Carlos preferred sharing the largest bedroom with Jill. He had jokingly made the excuse that the bedroom at the far end of the house had it's own private en suite and the other occupants would all have to share the smaller dingier bathroom but Jill knew very well Carlos's true reason for wanting to stay.

Ever since the destruction and separation at Bluewater it had caused the pair to become very close, at any time either could be taken away without as so much as a warning due to their work.

_Perhaps now I can finally tell Carlos what I truly feel seeming as we're all together again_. Jill thought to herself as she stared back at Carlos.

However the persistent knocking and scraping at the door made Jill lose whatever emotional thoughts she had when snapping back towards the noise.

"Tell me you hear that too?" she asked Carlos.

Carlos only nodded, "Either the rats have evolved to a larger form or…"

The door to the bedroom suddenly swung open with enough force for the top hinges to fall off and a medium sized form bounded across the thick rug while making a noise that sounded like quiet growling and shrill crying.

Both Jill and Carlos had already parted as the red figure leapt up onto the bed while still making its weird cries as a long pink tongue snapped forward catching the pair in the face.

Jill wasn't so much annoyed at the sudden appearance of the screaming creature it was the fact that the sheets on the large king sized bed were now not only covered in red mud but also ripped to shreds.

Carlos had a different reaction he pointed towards the door while trying to remove the now ripped sheets off him, "Down, outside, just get off me DarkClaw!"

This only caused DarkClaw's tongue to whip forward and give Carlos another long wet lick causing his hair to become plastered to his head.

Although it was still early morning and the sun had yet to fully enter the room Jill could just barely make out DarkClaw's form.

DarkClaw had been the newest member of the team who was 'liberated' from the Glasshouse Mountains facility a few weeks ago. Somewhere along the way the term 'licker' had popped up in a past conversation and the name to describe what DarkClaw was stuck.

Even from the beginning the group knew that DarkClaw was very different from Nemesis and Deception as were his eating habits.

DarkClaw really didn't have an appearance that could be defined unlike the other two monsters the only features that did stick out on the licker was his exposed brain that had a slimy coating, a long pink tongue that could easily grab anything from a few metres away and the monster's fetish for junk food.

When rearing up to grab at anything that caught the monster's short attention span it could easily be seen that DarkClaw might be the size of an adolescent child but due to the fact that he crawled around on four feet it was near impossible to tell how tall DarkClaw was.

To the rest of the group, including Alyssa, DarkClaw resembled nothing more then a skinless, long tongued, hyperactive eyeless puppy that was more then happy to play mock ambushes on unsuspecting sleepers.

Rebecca suddenly appeared at the door seemingly out of breath and red in the face.

DarkClaw had heard Rebecca's approach and turned to face her, his long tongue slowly rising and swiping the air.

Walking up to the bed Rebecca easily attached a lead onto the black collar DarkClaw wore and slowly pulled the muddy monster off the bed.

"I'm so sorry guys, he just took off and before I knew it DarkClaw was…oh geeze I didn't mean to intrude, I didn't interrupt anything did I?" she said turning away when realizing where Jill and Carlos were.

Jill only sighed and slowly rose from the bed attempting to fold the shredded sheets back, "It's ok Rebecca we were going to get up anyway"

"Yeah and besides it beats waking up to that annoying buzzer every morning I like a bit of variety" Carlos replied as he stretched.

By now DarkClaw had started to strain on the lead that held him but Rebecca kept a firm grip on it causing the licker to sit beside her panting like a dog.

Rebecca had chosen to stay behind with Jill and Carlos after Bluewater; her medical knowledge had been of great help to the group especially now that she had the opportunity to 'study' three of Umbrella's monsters without getting mauled for her efforts.

Jill opened her small bedside table and took out a cloth bundle, she held it tightly to her chest as though it were a small child before turning towards Carlos and Rebecca, "I think I'll see if Alyssa's up"

Rebecca nodded and with a slight tug at the lead DarkClaw rose and began to spider walk along side her, "I bet you're hungry huh?" she said to the licker.

"Actually now that you mention it yeah I am" Carlos replied grinning.

"I was talking to DarkClaw and I hope you know it's your turn to make breakfast this morning"

Carlos groaned, "I only did that last week! How did it go by so fast?"

Jill watched as the pair slowly left the room, their voices echoing across the expansive living room.

Turning back towards the bundle Jill smiled lightly and began to walk towards the doorway, there were some preparations to be made for the next journey.


	3. Tensions rising

**Chapter Two**

Standing above the four surgeons in the room below on the viewing platform Griffin watched as they began to slowly make incisions into the clone's body.

Griffin had lost track of how many Alyssa clones had yet to make it through the maze that had been designed to test the skill of their abilities. He did know however that there were still plenty of clones left as the committee had allowed Griffin unlimited privileges as long as he kept handing reports to the 'representative' of the committee on a weekly basis.

Being in the position he was, Griffin found it quite easy to make up some short bullshit report filled with nothing but flowery words designed to make the committee believe he actually was doing something useful in the facility.

As one of the surgeons began to cut the ribs with a pair of surgical clippers Griffin turned away, not because he was disgusted by what he saw but there were other matters that needed his attention.

Walking towards the door leading out of the room Griffin thought back to when the committee had called for him in order to put forth a proposal.

He had never seen all the members of the committee, as the majority were recluses and rich eccentrics who only chose to communicate from their own private hideaways whenever it pleased them.

Or so it was according to Griffin.

The three members that had allowed themselves to be seen didn't appear to be that intimidating but even Griffin, despite his high position in Umbrella knew that one wrong word or action against them could lead to his termination in the company.

When one of the members spoke, a man that resembled a large toad then anything else, Griffin had no choice but to listen to what he had to say.

It was mostly drivel about how important Griffin's work was and that perhaps it should be taken to the next level.

The man beside Toad cut him off by demanding the reason for Alyssa's sudden disappearance from the Glasshouse Mountains facility.

Alyssa Winterstone, somehow even just thinking about that name made Griffin visibly shiver yet at the same time proud. After all it was because of Alyssa's escape that he was put in charge of the facility he was currently at.

Toad had now calmed down since being cut off by the thin man that resembled a scarecrow and simply explained that the research regarding the top bio-weapon needed to be pushed forward, either with the original Alyssa or a copy that was similar in abilities.

The third member hadn't spoken a word since the meeting began allowing Toad and Scarecrow to do the talking, the silent member was the only one that Griffin could identify and he was a person that had become more of a hindrance to his work then anything else.

Trent, as he was known in the committee was something of a mystery man, he would show up unexpectedly and only recently did Griffin start to doubt him having ties to the rebels. Griffin had always suspected that Trent had been secretly feeding the rebels information that had allowed them to discover the hidden whereabouts of the Umbrella facilities.

Despite his intimidating appearance of black suit and equally dark tinted sunglasses that hid his eyes Trent only nodded whenever Toad or Scarecrow spoke, not that he seemed to agree with anything that was said and he gave the overall impression that he was bored above anything else.

However when he did speak the others appeared to be more afraid of him then what he had to say.

"The Sphere complexes are another valuable asset to the corporation doctor, the committee cannot afford another research facility to fall to our enemies" Trent's icy emotionless tone cut through the room like a knife, though at the same time the words seemed staged. "Therefore in order for all to be functioning properly in the present and near future precautions will be undertaken, the deactivation of the prototype for the X series will be put into focus after this meeting concludes, only your research team, several security squads and Project Alice will accompany you to the Sphere complexes, any other requirements regarding staff or even materials will be sent to either myself or other members of the committee"

Walking down the hallway towards his office Griffin could only smile at what Trent had said when mentioning the shut down of X-2.

Despite it only being temporary, the monster had obviously made an impression on Trent when first seeing the creature in action.

_Or perhaps now Trent's 'allies' will think it easier to breach security now that one of the big bad monsters has been 'disposed of'_ Griffin thought.

He didn't question Trent's unusual request but somehow Griffin knew that although Trent was high on the committee ladder allowing the shut down of X-2 would have raised some eyebrows with the other members.

Toad and Scarecrow however didn't seem to react to what Trent had to say and only sat at the far end of the table alongside him while Griffin was on the opposite side.

In the back of his mind Griffin somehow knew that the committee was 'punishing' him for losing their best human specimen by forcing him to work with the dozens of clones everyday but Griffin never allowed any reaction that would show them being assigned to the four underground laboratories was something he despised.

As he turned the doorknob for the office Griffin heard someone approach him.

Turning slightly he could see it was none other then Henry appearing somewhat out of breath as he stopped beside Griffin.

"I've been looking for you since the last test" Henry blurted out. "I assumed you already left for one of the other Spheres"

Griffin only sighed and rolled his eyes as he turned the doorknob, "You assumed wrong Henry, I'm guessing you found what you needed?"

Henry had no choice but to follow Griffin inside the large office pausing only for a moment to wipe his brow with a white handkerchief, "No I didn't, that's the reason why I needed to speak with you urgently"

Walking up to his large ornate desk Griffin then sat down in the high backed leather chair, "Go on then you have the audience's attention"

When entering the room Griffin knew very well that Alice had somehow gotten inside his office and had been patiently waiting for him like a spider would a fly. It seemed to have become a habit for her to wait for him to walk inside the room before silently appearing from the shadows like some kind of ghost.

It was a trait that had puzzled Griffin as it wasn't part of the programming he had created, however he saw that it wasn't a threat and therefore allowed Alice to play her little mind games with him. As it was he could tell that being underground in a research facility had made her uncomfortable which made Griffin realize that in another life she had entered a similar complex and still carried the scars from such an encounter.

Henry hadn't realized the extra presence in the room and when turning around to see the shadowy form of Alice standing in the furthest corner he gulped loudly before continuing, "Actually sir the main reason I came here was to discuss certain matters regarding…"

"Oh come now Henry we're all adults here so spit it out I haven't got all day to listen to your monotone voice!" Griffin said cutting Henry off.

"There was an incident that occurred a few hours after the team had arrived and it had something to do with your bodyguard"

"I fail to see how a simple argument has anything to do with you Henry, although I do commend you on bringing this matter to me it isn't something that causes you to run all over this complex like a child for"

It was there and then that Henry allowed his more aggressive side to appear, he balled his hands into fists and stomped down onto the carpet hard with his right foot, "No you don't get it because of your bodyguard who is no doubt a sadist at heart we're down one member of our research team! I saw her strangle then throw Peters to one of the infected test subjects, the attack was completely unprovoked"

Glancing over towards the half hidden Alice, Griffin could see that she was moreover enjoying Henry's little display of strength yet at the same time he knew that she had killed one of the lower lab techs for no reason.

He had decided however to see how far Henry would go with this accusation, "Tell me then Henry what do you think should be done with the guilty party once they have been found?"

"You know very well it was your bodyguard that killed Peters and yet you still cover for her? I'd suggest getting a collar for that sadistic bitch and keeping her locked up at all times, screw the fact that she's supposed to be providing protection for you the only thing she does is…" Henry was suddenly cut off with a gasp as his hands went instinctively for his throat as he began to make choking noises.

Slowly Alice strode forward, her left hand held out in front of her while her blue eyes blazed with hatred.

Griffin only sat back and watched the scene unfold, he knew for a fact that Henry would push the right buttons sooner or later, which would allow a reaction to happen.

Turning towards the choking Henry, Griffin shrugged, "You can't blame Alice, Henry, after all you did utter a profanity against my bodyguard which if you haven't realized turns out to be her"

Now Alice was smiling coldly at Henry, relishing his poor attempts to breathe through a blocked throat.

Despite the fact that Griffin wanted the whole confrontation to end with Henry's death, he was a valued research member and couldn't be lost due to Alice's wrath.

Instinctively squeezing the remote in his pocket Griffin made eye contact with the now enraged Alice and spoke, "That's enough back down"

However when the only reaction Griffin got was a glare that had the power to kill he only took the remote out and calmly placed it on the desk giving no indication that the refusal of the last order had left him disturbed, "Just give me an excuse and I'll do it, any reason at all!"

This time the threat worked and Alice released her invisible grip on Henry's throat and stepped away.

Griffin only returned the glare back at Alice as he quickly put the silver remote away, he had all intentions of pressing one of the buttons just to assert his authority but dismissed it, he only stared back into the cold eyes of his bodyguard and spoke, "I'll speak to you later now get out my sight and don't do anything you might regret understand?"

Clenching both her hands into fists Alice stiffly turned and walked outside the office.

Griffin then turned to face Henry who was rubbing his now sore neck.

Henry however took the chance to put in a snide remark, "You've allowed her too much freedom and now even you struggle to bring Project Alice back under your control, the committee warned you about this"

Hearing this Griffin silently groaned he'd been a fool into thinking that by bringing Henry to one such meeting would help with his research.

The session with the committee via video link had been a humiliating hour and a half and Henry it seems had remembered every remark that had been said during the meeting.

Griffin only shrugged, he didn't have time to match words with a lowly scientist, "What the committee says about what I do should be no concern of yours"

As Henry went to open his mouth Griffin stopped him, "I'm sure that you didn't come to discuss my methods of discipline if so I would begin with your unlikely and unannounced intrusion or is there more to this sudden appearance?"

"But I just…"

"Are you quite done pointing fingers Henry?"

Henry only sighed and lowered his head, "Yes, that's all I really wanted to say"

Griffin sat back in his chair and waved Henry off, "Good, see that in the near future you only send me an email about any matters that offend you, saves you having to run all over the facility to find me"

Realizing it was the signal to leave Henry only walked towards the door and went outside.

After Henry had left Griffin switched on the computer monitor and waited for it to slowly turn on.

Typing in his password and username Griffin then opened a program, which showed a map of the Atherton Tablelands.

In the outskirts of the mountain area a faint light blinked on and off.

Seeing this Griffin only smiled as he shut the map program down.

_Won't be long now Alyssa, I have such plans for you but for the moment enjoy your 'freedom' however the time will come when I will call for you and you'll have no choice but to follow_.


	4. Fears overcome

Just a short chapter this time more is on its way just have to get past my exams and I'll be fine. Thanks to copyright for leaving a review I really appreciate it.

**Chapter Three**

As Jill went to open the door to Alyssa's room it suddenly swung open by itself. From out of the darkened room stepped Nemesis, the monster only turned towards Jill, his eyes filled with worry and concern, snorted once before walking across the wide room his heavy footsteps echoing. _Something's wrong _Jill suddenly thought.

After Alyssa had been freed from the Glasshouse Mountains labs Nemesis had resumed his constant vigil at her bedside. The monster hadn't moved and obviously not slept or eaten for several weeks. _Not that I've ever seen Nemesis eat anything_ Jill thought as she carefully opened the door and stepped inside.

When first seeing the sleeping form of Alyssa, Jill was more then tempted to turn around and walk back out, somehow waking up the girl from her peaceful sleep after all she'd been through didn't seem right. But then she noticed that Alyssa's breathing was irregular it wasn't like someone in a deep sleep would have, so it was more then likely that Alyssa was either dozing or fully awake.

Pulling up the wooden stool near the bedside table Jill sat down and looked at Alyssa, "I know you're faking, come on I want to you to see something"

Slowly Alyssa opened her eyes and frowned at the bundle Jill held.

Jill noticed that Alyssa suddenly had a very tired appearance, she had bags under her eyes and her long white hair moreover resembled a wiry birds nest, "You didn't sleep much last night?"

Alyssa only nodded and slowly got into a sitting position while yawning, "Another nightmare"

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not really, it's something that I'd like to forget" she then pointed towards the cloth bundle Jill had. "What's that you have there?"

Jill only placed the cloth bundle on the bedside table before speaking, "Soon Carlos and I will be leaving"

"You want me to stay here and out of danger right?" Alyssa cut in.

"No not really" Jill replied smiling, then the smile faded as her face turned serious.

"Alyssa so far your abilities have either been in small bursts or around people who already know what you are, but where we're going next are into semi populated areas. Although there aren't heaps of people in these towns they don't know what you're capable of, now I know that you'd never hurt anyone intentionally but in order to pass as a regular human being you can't use any of your abilities when you're with us. People get easily scared if they see something they don't understand which is the reason why you'll have to find some alternate means of defending yourself should we run into any danger"

Alyssa only glanced over at the calico bundle then back towards Jill, her green eyes studying her before speaking, "I'll try Jill but I can't guarantee anything I just…" she then turned away and sighed.

Realizing that it would be impossible to press for answers Jill got up from the stool, "Whatever you decide Alyssa, it's your responsibility not mine, if you make a choice soon come around the back of the house and tell me ok?"

Hearing the door close Alyssa turned back towards the cloth bundle and picked it up. It felt very heavy as she carefully lifted it and began to slowly un wrap it.

Only catching a glimpse of what it contained forced her to drop it as though it was some kind of gruesome find. Gathering up enough courage Alyssa cautiously reached out her right hand and removed the cloth then stared at its contents.

In the darkened room both of the silver plated handguns seemed even more intimidating had they been revealed in a fully lit place. Carefully picking one up Alyssa felt it's weight in her hand. She had sworn to never touch a gun or anything that resembled one, at least then she would be able to separate herself from her vicious rival.

It wasn't the fact that Alyssa feared guns; it was only that such a small metal object could cause so much pain and even death when fired from the weapon.

_Though it looks like times will have to change _Alyssa thought even though she was still disgusted by the two handguns in front of her. Picking them both up she could easily feel the cold metal handles and weight of the weapons.

_It's just for this journey and nothing else; I probably won't have to use them_ she thought as she aimed the guns at the wall.

Little did Alyssa know that her predictions would be very wrong regarding the weapons.


	5. Plans and Gunpowder

_Author's note: Due to the website not formatting my chapters properly I've decided to bold any new breaks when switching from different characters, this should make reading easier._

**Chapter Four**

Slowly the black bag containing the remains of the last autopsy was lifted by a pair of figures wearing white bio suits and thrown into the large incinerator that was in front of them. From behind the metal doors Griffin watched them dispose of the body through the small circular window.

Despite the Sphere complexes being underground it had been decided by the committee that the way the clone's remains be dealt with was by burning the corpses that would inturn become nothing but sterile ash. It was useless in disposing of the remains any other way due to the infectious blood each of the bodies contained, as it was there had been a minor scare in Sphere Two where a low level researcher had accidentally allowed a vial of blood to spill in a sterile area. The facility didn't have to go into lock down but the scientist who caused the scare was promptly fired and replaced, Griffin had no time to waste on employees who were careless and had no disregard for handling infectious substances.

The large metal door to the incinerator slammed shut as the flames began to encircle the thick glass window. Griffin only watched on in fascination as the flames began to eat into the black bag. He rarely ventured into the lower levels of the complex, they were dimly lit and the scent of dirt was to a point overpowering. Also the lower levels were where some of the other live test subjects were kept and had the tendency to get loose and wander around the murky depths from time to time.

The last clone that had been put through the testing grounds had caught Griffin's attention however. He somehow felt compelled to see her through from the untimely death right up to the disposal of her body.

Not that the rest of her 'sisters' had proven to be any better.

The entire group of Batch C were now being dissected or laying in the freezers waiting to be examined. Griffin had taken it upon himself to preform the autopsies in the hope of finding a difference or similarities to the original's anatomy. There were various tissue and blood samples that had been taken from Alyssa when she was being contained at the Glasshouse Mountains, which had allowed Griffin to make genetic model replicas of her, but none had shown the promise of being like the girl at all.

He had a decent idea of the genetic structure that Alyssa had being that her DNA was very different to that of a human being due to the virus infusion, but the clones were either close or way off or so was his theory.

_The original Alyssa is needed to extract DNA from, if she returned I would be able to get a fresh sample of her blood and perhaps then some answers would come to light but until that happens…_Griffin turned away from the steel door and started to walk back down the cement hallway.

When exiting the elevator for the lower levels Alice was standing patiently outside as the doors opened. Griffin only gave her a casual glance still aware that her anger was still present, he gestured down the steel hallway, "I want to talk to you alone, follow me"

**When Alyssa eventually went outside and walked around the back of the large farmhouse the first rays of sunshine was just starting to crawl across the roof**. She didn't know much about the house that Jill and Carlos had managed to find during her absence. The only thing Alyssa did realize very quickly was that there was more room unlike the cramped quarters of the cabin at Bluewater.

Originally the house had been a farm stay, which had been a flourishing industry in the Atherton Tableland area for quite some time. That was until tourists came less frequent to the smaller towns and the majority of the farm stays had no choice but to be shut down, the houses and property were being sold quite cheaply and quickly so the owners could cut their losses. A large mountain separated the house from the road and the nearest neighbours were several miles away. Not only that but due to the lush rainforest that grew on the mountain it had formed a type of tree barrier giving Deception plenty of space to hunt.

Glancing out across towards the mountain Alyssa attempted to find the Hunter but she knew very well with his green scaled skin Deception would be impossible to locate in the forest. She'd hardly seen the monster ever since the raid on the Glasshouse Mountains but Alyssa could sense he was still with the group, Deception was a solitary creature only appearing when his curiosity was prompted and that was the way it would stay.

Hearing her name being called Alyssa turned slightly to see both Jill and Carlos standing beside the ruins of an old white farm fence. Slowly approaching them Alyssa saw that all along the rickety fence was a row of rusted beer and soft drink cans.

"I'm glad you made the right choice, we're all part of this whether we like it or not and I guess in a way we'd both feel bad if you were left behind" Jill said.

"You ready Alyssa?" Carlos asked. "Don't worry it's nothing hard we'll start off small and go up in targets, first I just want to see what you're capable of doing"

Alyssa glanced at the two handguns she held in each hand and sighed, "I haven't had a whole lot of experience in using guns"

"That's ok we expected you wouldn't have, just try and hit as many of the cans as you can" Jill replied. "There's no pressure so don't feel bad if you don't hit them all you're a beginner not an expert but that's cool even Carlos and I had to start somewhere"

"Yeah as long as you aim the front of the gun away from us you should be fine" Carlos said grinning.

Alyssa positioned herself so she could see the cans; "You have no idea how relieved that makes me feel" she replied sarcastically.

Jill and Carlos both stepped back as the gunshots echoed across the silent countryside. After a few moments the firing stopped and Alyssa threw both of the guns down onto the ground. Stepping away from them she shook her head, "I don't think I can do this," she whispered, then she turned and walked back towards the house.

Jill watched Alyssa go and sighed, she knew that Alyssa was uneasy about guns but she had no idea it was this bad. _I feel like such a bully, pushing Alyssa to tackle her fears isn't right_ she thought when retrieving the guns. _If she doesn't want to use the guns then I won't say anything_.

Carlos in the meantime had gone over to the fence and picking up one of the cans off the ground he frowned at it then went over to another, which got the same response from him.

Turning back to Jill, Carlos approached her and held out a rusted beer can, "Hey Jill take a look at this"

Jill was confused by Carlos's actions but she nevertheless took the can from his outstretched hand, "What's wrong, did Alyssa miss one?"

"Quite the opposite actually, she hit all of them, dead centre"

Slowly turning the can over Jill could easily see the bullet hole straight through the middle, "It could have been a lucky shot"

"That's what I thought but all the others are exactly the same, pretty good for someone who's never handled a gun before"

Tossing the can back towards Carlos, Jill shook her head, "Well I guess Leon was right then"

Carlos frowned, "How so?"

"He said that when you go up against Umbrella's tampering you're sure to lose" Jill replied smiling. "We have to remember that Alyssa isn't like us"

Throwing the can from one hand to another Carlos sighed, "I always seem to forget that but I suppose I'm the same with Nemesis, every so often it just slips my mind that he's this big genetically enhanced monster"

"Well there are subtle differences there" Jill said. She then started to walk back towards the house. "Come on then we better start preparing, in a few hours we have to leave"

Before following Jill, Carlos threw the can as far as he could. The can sailed across the field and into the bridging rainforest. Seeing this Carlos smiled _I still got it_ he thought before lightly jogging after Jill.


	6. Visable Symptoms

Enjoy this next chapter which should keep you all amused for quite a while until I start posting more. Any reviews or questions are always welcome!

**Chapter Five**

As the preparations were put into play Rebecca only watched the pair load up the group's most recent find, an old delivery truck complete with armoured sides.

Carlos had originally found it amongst the rusting heaps in a junkyard near Cairns and although the owner who sold it to the 'couple' was laughing when they drove it off, the vehicle seemed more reliable then it appeared. With all the newer modifications the old delivery van now resembled an armoured truck then anything else. Its sides had been reinforced with steel while the large heavy doors at the back had thick securing locks preventing them from suddenly swinging open. This was done with good intentions; the unusual cargo that would be riding in the back wasn't the type that such trucks carried.

It was decided that only the bare essentials be taken with the group, things such as plenty of ammunition for the weapons was definitely a must and also various food supplies in the event of getting stuck out at their unknown destination.

Standing at the opening of the large outdoor garage Rebecca only shook her head, "I still don't understand where you three are actually going to"

Handing Carlos a satchel containing a few clips of ammunition Jill turned to face her, "Actually we have no idea ourselves just a bunch of coordinates given to us by Trent is all we have to go on"

"How do you know he isn't leading you into a trap?" Rebecca asked in a sceptic tone. "It seems strange you're always willing to trust Trent and his bizarre emails he sends you"

In many ways Jill had silently agreed with Rebecca, it did seem strange that a few days after the 'raid' on the Glasshouse Mountains lab an email popped up into the inbox from the mysterious Trent. Ever since moving into the Tableland region Trent had not contacted them and Jill had assumed he had not caught up with their new location or another type of situation she didn't want to think about that would permanently prevent him from ever speaking to the group again. Trent had been with the group from the very start and his knowledge of all of Umbrella's shady dealing was at sometimes scary but very useful.

The recent email had been classified as 'scary' due to the fact it had coordinates and a map of the Australian deserts. It almost seemed that Trent had been very aware that the program he had given to the rebels called 'the map' had been destroyed so instead of giving another copy of the lost map pointed them to their next destination. Even the message accompanying the map and coordinates was a typical aspect of Trent and Jill had memorised the strange email word for word in case it was needed later on.

_Far beneath burning sands lie four spheres, the poison each spew forth has killed the land and its inhabitants, journey to the dead centre and clamp the pipes shut but beware of the eye in the sky that is ever watchful and never sleeps_.

Thinking about the weird message Jill only shook her head; it seemed as confusing as when she first saw it. _It does seem strange that Trent suddenly pops up out of the blue after a long silence but what else can we do? We don't know where the other labs in this country are, as we no longer have the map to show us._

Shrugging and stepping away from the truck Jill began to make her way back to the house, "In a few hours we'll find out if Trent's led us astray or not, I'm hoping it's not a wild goose chase into the desert region that's all"

"I can't believe you're being so casual about this"

Carlos approached the pair from behind, cutting Jill off before she could speak, "The group trusts him and I guess Trent's never lied to us, thing I don't understand is what he's getting out of it I mean doesn't he normally want something in return? A file? A code?"

"One of the many mysteries surrounding Trent I suppose" Jill replied as she turned to watch DarkClaw pace back and forth in his pen. She then glanced towards Rebecca; "You'll be ok taking care of DarkClaw while we're gone?"

Rebecca only sighed, "I don't have much of a choice in the matter but how long will this 'trip' take? I only have a few more weeks before I have to travel back to the states and resume my nursing duties"

"If we fly out by at least mid afternoon today we'll be there by six then the rest of the journey will take three weeks to travel to those coordinates that Trent gave us" Jill said.

"All along hoping that those directions don't lead us into trouble" Carlos remarked grinning. When seeing that neither Jill or Rebecca were impressed by the remark he only shrugged and backed away, "I'm joking ladies, everything will be fine but I think I better check the engine before we leave just to make sure"

Rebecca was now watching as DarkClaw attempted to dig into the soft muddy dirt inside the pen only succeeding in getting covered in more mud, "There's not much to him, DarkClaw I mean, all you have to do is make sure he has fresh water, exercise and plenty of chocolate, kind of like a dog I guess, without the whole chocolate thing though"

"We'll be gone three weeks tops and if you have to leave earlier it's ok don't stress about it" Jill said as she started for the steps. "I find it very hard to believe that DarkClaw will starve to death if we're gone a few extra days"

"You haven't been studying his metabolism, that monster burns up more energy four times as fast as a human being, sometimes I think that Umbrella practically gave DarkClaw to us because he was eating them out of house and home"

Stepping up onto the wooden veranda Jill narrowly avoided walking through a large clear puddle that carried the faint aroma of chemicals and sugar.

When Rebecca saw the puddle she looked at it and frowned, "Please tell me that's not what I think it is?"

Jill only smiled, "Might as well get some experience while you're at it"

Rebecca only groaned and went off in search of a mop and bucket.

Turning the doorknob for one of the veranda's doors Jill stepped inside the semi darkened farmhouse. As she started to switch the lights on Jill heard a soft voice call her name.

Facing the sound she realized it was Alyssa who was sitting on one of the leather lounge chairs in the large living room/kitchen area.

When approaching Alyssa, Jill could easily see that the girl was upset by something that went well beyond the target practice earlier on. As she sat down Alyssa took a deep breath and rubbed the left side of her head, she seemed at first unable to talk but as her green eyes locked onto Jill she began to speak in a soft whispery voice.

"Jill can I tell you something? Something that I've kept a secret ever since you rescued me?"

Jill only nodded, though in the back of her mind she knew that what was about to be said was not going to be happy and cheerful, "Go ahead I'm listening"

Alyssa lowered her hand and clasped both together and sighed, "Before you came…actually it was a week before…" her eyes darted away from Jill's gaze for only a moment then returned, they were filled with fear and sadness. "He did something to be Jill, Griffin put something in my head and I'm only remembering it now"

The chair that Jill was sitting on suddenly became very hard and cold as a chill crept up her spine. _Those words, those exact words sound so much like…_shaking her head Jill turned back towards Alyssa while trying to keep her calm composure, "What do you mean by that Alyssa?"

But Alyssa only shifted away from Jill and it seemed that she wouldn't say anymore. She instead lifted up the left side of her white hair and pointed with her free hand, "Griffin drugged me then put a microchip in there somewhere I think it was on the left side but I could be wrong, either way I have a piece of machinery in my skull now"

"Is that the reason why you don't want to use guns? Because you're frightened you'll turn into another Alice?"

Alyssa turned back to face Jill and slightly nodded, a single tear slipped down her cheek, "He made me kill someone Jill and there was nothing I could do to stop it, I just think that maybe…I'm away from him now and I don't think that Griffin can command me but just in case"

Jill leaned in closer and spoke, "It'll be ok Alyssa, we've all managed to survive the last two times something's nasty happened we'll figure this out too"

Alyssa shook her head and moved even further away from Jill, "My abilities are nothing compared to this, Umbrella's using me and there's nothing in the world that'll convince me to stay with you guys, I know you've all been really good to put up with everything so far but I can't risk the fact that I might hurt someone" she paused to wipe the tear from her cheek. "I'm changing Jill and there's not a kind word in the entire world that will make me feel all better inside!"

Jill only sat back in the chair and folded her arms, she was still getting over the shock with what Alyssa had said previously but had allowed the girl to speak, everyone was tense at the moment and letting off steam was the best option, "Well if that's how you feel Alyssa I won't try and convince you to stay but hear me out ok? Soon Carlos and I will be leaving for the desert regions near Birdsville, now there's plenty of places I'm sure you could easily disappear into and no one will find you, by coming with us you'd get a direct route into such areas and if you want to leave soon after then neither Carlos or I will stop you, does that sound plausible?"

Alyssa seemed to think about what Jill had just said for a few moments before replying, "You're not going into that place just for fun though?"

Jill shrugged, "It's what we do but if you want to tag along then you're more then happy to"

Clenching her left fist tightly Alyssa looked up towards Jill, her green eyes flashing with hatred, a side that was rarely seen in the girl, "When do we leave?"

**The tight closing walls of the underground facility had started to gnaw at Alice the moment she had travelled down into its depths.** There had been a time long ago in her past that she had journeyed into another facility similar to the Sphere complexes but such events were vague and couldn't be remembered properly. The only thing Alice could recall was the terrible feeling of being under all those tonnes of dirt and cement thinking for one moment what would it be like if it suddenly came all crashing down. In order to maintain her balanced and clear mind Alice practiced with her two swords whenever such a feeling came over her.

She had managed to locate a room that was not only far away from Griffin's gaze but also free of cameras. The room appeared to be a small operating theatre that hadn't been properly set up yet and the only way that someone could see her was if they happened to peer through the large glass window on the right side wall.

Gripping both handles of the swords in an iron hold Alice darted forward swiping the air in front of her as she fought invisible opponents.

Although the main weapon that security around all the facilities used were MP5s a type of semi automatic rifle Alice still favoured her twin blades over any gun in her collection, even the various squads of loud cocky soldiers feared her swords. Despite the fact that many saw swords as useless in defending against heavy gunfire the way that Alice wielded both of the customised blades defied logic. She could easily cut through a mass of heavily armoured enemies before they could draw their weapons to fire.

_Just as I did in the Glasshouse Mountains _Alice thought as she twisted both the swords in her hands.

She could tell that Griffin had been very upset with the fact that the entire squad had fallen to the weapons but there was a plausible reason: they had refused to get out of her way when an enemy had been spotted. However Alice hadn't been 'punished' for cutting down the security squads in fact Griffin had only given her a harsh warning before retreating back into his safe little haven. Similar was the warning and threats when Griffin had exited the elevator half an hour ago. He'd only 'advised' that she keep her emotions under control or further restrictions would be put into place.

Chuckling to herself Alice leapt into the air preforming a perfect flip before landing on her feet. _That idiot thinks he can control me with a silly remote and words little does Griffin know that I'm the one controlling him_.

It was true in the fact that Alice slightly feared the remote that Griffin always carried, whenever he pressed it a sharp high pitch frequency sound that was only meant for her ears would sound off. But if the remote were to be taken away he would lose his power.

Griffin had been after all too preoccupied with the lab brat's clones and a skeleton staff of jittery white-coated researchers only manned the facilities.

Revealing who truly was in charge would hopefully come to light soon.

The strange black suited Trent had met with Alice a few times before she had left with Griffin for the Sphere labs. Although she didn't trust the man she only listened to what he had to say partially ignoring his long speeches until it was mentioned that she keep watch over Griffin's actions.

Holding out the right blade Alice threw it up into the air and caught the handle before it hit the ground. _Trent, another fool who thinks he's untouchable, he put himself at a big risk talking to me, at anytime Griffin could have been listening, yet he seemed to know that might happen_.

Trent had used some very choice sentences during his last meeting; he appeared to understand Griffin's tyrannical hold over whatever complex he would be stationed at and if something should happen to him….

Thinking about what Trent had said made Alice smile, he must have known about the fate of Dr Isaacs, killing him was quick and easy if there ever came time to do the same to Griffin, Alice wanted his death to be painful and slow as possible. Though Alice couldn't stop thinking that Trent had purposely played on her position and emotions to create a type of profile on her thus seeing her as another of his little errand runners who would take down a rival so he could rise through the ranks but she easily dismissed it. There were more important things on Alice's mind then silky voiced committee members who no doubt feared her as they did each other.

Bringing both blades up in front of her Alice crossed them and then parted them before swinging backwards in a downward thrust.

Suddenly her entire left arm shook as her muscles began to tense up all along it.

Dropping both swords Alice then fell to the ground bringing her shaking left arm close in towards her. The pain from the clenched muscles only seemed to get worse and even though Alice gritted her teeth to block out the pain she cried out, the new sensation of agony was an emotion her mind had forgotten a long time ago.

In a few minutes however the shaking was over and the muscles in her arms slowly unclenched themselves. Straightening out her left arm Alice first shook it then lowered the limb so it was touching the cold cement floor, her face clouded with fear and surprise as she stared back her arm.

Still sitting in a kneeling position on the floor Alice shut her eyes and sighed, twice this had already happened and each time pain had followed. It was something that she could never tell Griffin lest she'd become a human pincushion, as he would assume it was an anomaly that needed to be inspected and written about.

With time and patience Alice had hoped that such a thing like the muscle spasms would pass but it was still a worrying issue as it had only recently arisen.

Slowly rising from the floor Alice went to retrieve her fallen blades.

She suddenly became aware that someone was watching her.

Turing to face the large glass window Alice saw Griffin standing on the other side staring back at her in a casual cold gaze. After a few moments Griffin shrugged while smiling cruelly and began to walk down the steel corridor.

Sliding the swords back into the scabbards strapped to her back Alice exited the room, she didn't want to know how long Griffin had been watching her or if he'd seen her shaking arm. She only wanted to get out of the confining underground tunnels and up into the fresh air outside the facility.


	7. Secrets and Lies

**Chapter Six**

* * *

The hours spent travelling on the road between the Tablelands and Cairns passed quickly without any major upsets from the front or the back of the truck.

Although DarkClaw was left behind under the care of Rebecca the group knew that the two other monsters would not be convinced otherwise to stay at the farm house, Nemesis in particular. Deception had just materialized in the back of the vehicle and remained half submerged in the shadows watching the doors slowly shut, no questions were asked as to how and why the Hunter had wanted to come along though it did seem that he had expressed some understanding of where the group was going to.

Alyssa had not said a single word to either Jill or Carlos for the entire trip. She preferred to stare out of the window on the passenger's side door, which was heavily splattered with the remains of several mosquitos and flies, watching the landscape slowly change from forests to mountains.

Jill had noticed Alyssa's change in moods greatly yet hadn't spoken to the girl after the outburst in the living room. _Just give her space_ she thought. _It'll only get worse if you get all mum like on her_. She hadn't told Carlos what Alyssa had said but somewhere along the line Jill knew she'd have no choice but to mention it. Even though something like a microchip implant stuck in your brain wasn't A grade conversation material.

As the truck slowly descended the range Jill briefly caught Alyssa's gaze, she had turned slightly away from her window viewing and was now watching Jill. However when Jill looked back at Alyssa she could clearly see the girl was still frustrated when she only glared back and returned to staring out of the window.

Carlos tapped the part on the dashboard that showed the fuel gauge snapping Jill from her trance, "We might have to stop soon at a service station the fuel's getting a bit low"

Jill glanced towards the dashboard, "There's still a quarter of a tank left"

"I still think we should stop either way just in case our destination doesn't have any fuel stops later on"

Hearing Carlos speak like that puzzled Jill, it seemed to be that he was trying to say something but didn't want to say it out loud, like a type of a hidden code. Nodding and settling back into the overstuffed seat she sighed, "Fine, knock yourself out, I'm pretty sure those underground labs aren't going anywhere"

Carlos only stared straight ahead while gripping the wheel, "We're ahead of schedule as well so there's no rush"

Soon the red roof of a service station loomed in the distance and the truck slowly swung in from the bitumen road, onto the concrete of the station and under the large covering over the petrol bowsers and small store.

As Carlos opened the door and got out Jill turned towards Alyssa who seemed unaffected by the sudden stop, "We'll just be a few minutes ok?"

Alyssa only shrugged and nodded while still staring out of the window, "Sure, I can wait it's not like I'll run away here"

Frowning at the remark Jill slid out through the drivers side door and shut it.

Carlos was waiting for her and walked forward with the petrol pump, undid the fuel cap and jammed the metal pump in. Pressing the button for the fuel flow he spoke, "You and Alyssa seem a bit tense at the moment"

"That obvious huh?"

"I kind of sense when females fight know what I mean?" Carlos joked as he grinned, when seeing that Jill had no reaction at the remarked his smile faded. "You know I may not be a psychologist and all but I am aware that something's up and it has something to do with Alyssa"

Jill didn't even bother trying to lie she only nodded and sighed, "You hit that nail right on the head"

Glancing towards the fuel gauge Carlos only released his hold on the nozzle then slowly walked back towards the bowser, when clipping it in place he turned towards Jill, "Why be so secretive especially around me, it's not like I'd explode like Chris or hurt Alyssa, is it a new ability she discovered?"

"It's not like that…it's just…" Jill trailed off. "I promised Alyssa it would stay between the two of us"

"Oh so it's like that then" Carlos replied in a low voice.

Before Jill could say anything else Carlos stepped away from her and slowly made his way towards the small service window.

Seeing Carlos's reactions and emotions almost made Jill want to scream the truth out to him but she knew this wasn't the time or place for it. Her heart felt heavy as her mouth became dry _I lied to him_ Jill thought. _Now Carlos won't trust me_.

Turning back towards the steel plated truck Jill sighed, telling Carlos what she's heard a few hours ago just got tougher and the longer she left it the harder it would be to explain later.

* * *

Far away from the testing area in the sterile confines of the lab Griffin watched as another clone slowly inched forward down a brightly lit tunnel. They seemed to favour the middle tunnel in the 'official' starting area of the testing grounds, which had been designed to resemble a hotel lobby. Lately though Griffin had been placing the clones in random rooms through out the test phases and he was about to see why such a decision had been made after the tests had started.

A few more steps down the corridor and the lasers were activated dancing across the glass walls like thin ballerinas. The clone noticed the sudden movement and began to back down the hallway, her eyes never leaving the laser beams.

Escape however was impossible; Griffin had installed a devise throughout the testing phases that allowed the doors to slide shut after entry. It was an interesting aspect to the course as the earlier clones would easily figure out the method of backtracking and stay in the 'safe' rooms avoiding the obstacles all together.

The girl was now up against the glass panel that separated the hallway from the lobby, she still watched the lasers slowly move back and forth while pressed up on the glass.

Griffin watched in fascination at the clone's expression, all of them reacted so much like the original with the exception of the abilities Alyssa possessed. He could almost see the wheels turning in the girl's head as they sought to ratify the situation.

Suddenly the lasers raced forward, the three beams of light streaking across the hallway. The girl reacted and jumped upwards grabbing onto the monkey bar type fixtures on the ceiling and easily avoiding the lasers.

The sudden movement of the girl shocked and amazed Griffin, he had been betting on the fact that she would be sliced to pieces by the oncoming lasers but the girl had evaded a disaster by finding a safe position on the ceiling.

It dawned on Griffin that the clone hadn't been watching the lasers she had been studying the ceiling and discovered the ladder. _Just amazing, not even the original Alyssa has capabilities like that_ he thought watching as the girl swung up onto the ceiling and began to crawl forward. Not able to tear himself away from the screen Griffin continued to watch the girl's progress all the while feeling a rush of excitement, the clone on the screen might be the first to have successfully emulated the original after a long line of failures.

The feeling was short lived however, a single racing laser on the ceiling caused the girl to drop down through the bars of the ladder and straight through a 'net' of lasers that was slowly rising upwards.

Switching off the screen Griffin silently cursed, he wasn't one to use such profanities out loud but inside his head was a different matter. He was about to contact a clean up team to remove the remains from the tunnels when the door to the lab slid open.

Turning away from the blank screen Griffin had expected the intruder to his private sanctum to be none other then Alice who would try and explain what he had seen in the small examination room. However when a tall thin man with a youthful face stepped from behind a steel cabinet Griffin was mildly disappointed yet at the same time angry that his silence had been invaded by an employee after he had told the entire staff not to disturb him.

As he glanced up towards the man it caused him to step back. This only caused Griffin to sigh, "Does your intrusion into my lab have a purpose?"

The man only nodded, "A few moments ago the orbiting satellites picked up a slight change in the monitored subject's position"

Hearing this Griffin turned away from the scientist and switched on another monitor, logging onto the system he brought up a map. Typing in a few commands allowed a faint circle to appear which pointed towards the mountain ranges of a highway outside of Cairns. Not being able to properly track Alyssa had been pissing Griffin off since day one but he couldn't afford to cross swords with the committee again. While Alyssa was contained at the Glasshouse Mountains Griffin had been given special orders to place a microchip implant in the girl's head. The only draw back was the implant selected by the committee varied from the types he had created and used. It was still seen as a neurological implant being that a weak form of control could be asserted over the subject if the satellites were aligned but the tracking range would only give a general location making it impossible to narrow it down to an exact place.

This was one of the factors that frustrated Griffin, the location the map showed him could be days or weeks old, there was no telling if Alyssa was on top of the range or past it, the location only showed that the girl was somewhere on the mountainous highway.

Turning back towards the man Griffin spoke, "How long has the subject been on the move?"

"These are only recent readings, the information for the implant placed in the girl is updated every few hours, it was only discovered ten minutes ago that the position had changed" the scientist explained.

Hearing this Griffin smiled, _So on the move are you Alyssa? Good, perhaps I'll need your assistance later on in locating some filth that has escaped my gaze for too long_.

"Continue monitoring the movements, immediately notify me if there are any changes in position understand?" Griffin ordered.

The scientist nodded and without saying a word turned and walked out of the room.

The doors to the lab slid shut allowing silence to once again reign over the large expansive room.


	8. In flight memories

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

The large weed ridden field that was dotted with various vehicles and a few light air craft was the first thing that caught Jill's attention.

As the truck shuddered to a stop a man dressed in what appeared to be a cowboy outfit strode forward. It was only when he got closer did his attire more closely resemble a bushman then a cowboy. He wore a plaid shirt over a pair of dirt spotted jeans while a sweat stained akubra rested on his head.

The man smiled and waved as Carlos got out and approached him.

After a cautious glance around the yard Jill and Alyssa both got out of the opposite side of the truck and stood away from the pair. Instinctively Alyssa pulled a sand coloured scarf over her shoulder length white hair while nervously glancing up towards the sky.

Jill had noticed Alyssa's actions but didn't bother questioning them, she had given Alyssa the scarf before leaving suggesting that when around people to wear it just in case someone 'remembered' who she was from the news broadcasts. Though it was a risk that both Jill and Carlos had to face as well, they didn't use a lot to disguise their appearance when out in public and it would only take a vigilant police officer or concerned citizen to see through the thin disguises the pair wore and it would be all over in a flash.

Slowly approaching the pair Jill noticed that although the man was smiling and nodding he was very concerned about something.

"You know that there's a risk involved with you bringing that truck and all" the man replied. "What's so important about it? Not to pry or anything"

"It's our transport that's all" Jill suddenly spoke up.

The man turned towards Jill and smiled, "Well hello there" his eyes darted past Jill as he noticed Alyssa leaning against the truck's metal plated side watching them. "How many of you are going to be travelling?"

"Just the three of us"

Carlos gestured towards Jill, "Frank this is Melissa, Melissa, Frank, he said that his plane makes a stop at Birdsville which is pretty close to our destination"

Noticing that Carlos had not only given her a fake name but was also talking in code again she faintly smiled, "The closer the better"

Frank only shrugged and adjusted his hat, "Hopefully I can fit your truck in my carrier, used to belong in the air force before they got rid of 'em altogether said they guzzled too much fuel but then again I don't use the old girl much these days this will be the first time in a few months she's flown a long distance"

When seeing the nervous expression on both Jill and Carlos's faces Frank only grinned, "Just stringing you on relax it'll be fine just as long as you don't have anything illegal in the back of that truck that'll set the sensors off the trip will go smoothly"

Turning away from the pair Frank then started towards the large rusting white shed his steel capped boots tapping across the stony ground.

When Frank had gone a fair distance Jill faced Carlos, "You're bringing an innocent civilian into this?"

Carlos shrugged, "Frank isn't all smiles and nice words, he's been busted a few times by the authorities for trafficking all sorts of illegal items from refugees to bottled water that's why I chose him, Frank doesn't ask any questions he allows the money to talk for him"

Glancing towards the white shed Jill sighed, "I just hope that 'convincing' didn't drain our account"

Carlos didn't reply and only stepped away from Jill and began to walk back towards the van.

After the van had been backed into the cargo area of the large carrier Jill and Carlos rode up the front with Frank while Alyssa preferred to sit beside the truck staring into the metal walls of the plane.

Just before take off Alyssa had checked on both Nemesis and Deception and although the monsters were slightly confused at what was going on outside the truck they understood that leaving the back of the vehicle was at the moment out of the question. Settling back against the warm rubber tires of the truck Alyssa listened to all the sounds the plane made as it got ready to take off, the engines spluttering to life, the crackle of the radio and even the nervous heartbeat of someone whom Alyssa couldn't single out, all the noises were amplified into a sensory experience made possible due to the virus swimming through her veins.

Once the plane was airborne the slow rocking and gentle hum of the engine caused Alyssa to slide into a deep sleep despite the fact that she was in an unknown area she knew that it was safe enough to lower her defences for the meantime and allow sleep to take over.

Closing her eyes Alyssa began to dream.

Ever since Jill cut him off at the petrol station Carlos had been attempting to figure out what was going on between Jill and Alyssa by himself with little results.

_If it was a new dangerous ability Alyssa had discovered then why the silence and secrets? _Carlos thought in frustration. _I've never seen Jill so paranoid and tense around Alyssa_. Even when the pair first met up with Alyssa in what seemed like several life times ago Jill had never been so overly upset to the point where sensible reasoning went out the door.

After failing to understand what it was that was tearing Jill up inside Carlos waited until the plane, driven by the talkative Frank, had gotten up so high before taking Jill aside to speak to her. Despite the cargo hold's large expanse there were very few 'private' places that the pair could go to talk. Nevertheless Carlos managed to find a place between two large wooden crates that were marked as containing vegetables that was cut off from the rest of the cargo hold and hopefully away from ears that wouldn't be able to pick up the conversation.

As Jill stepped from behind one of the crates she noticed that Carlos was standing against the other with his arms crossed as he stared back at her.

"I knew sooner or later curiosity would get the better of you" Jill remarked.

"Admit it, keeping secrets, especially from me isn't one of your strong points" Carlos said. "I just don't understand why this new discovery is such a big deal"

Hearing this Jill sighed, she really wanted to tell Carlos what was going on but was afraid of his reaction. _I sound more like Alyssa, being afraid of others and what they are thinking_ she thought smiling thinly.

The last two 'discoveries' had almost been the end for the group so it would make sense that the latest edition was just as lethal as it's predecessors. When Alyssa had first used the blue electric flames both Jill and Carlos had barely escaped, the sudden appearance of the repressed ability was too much for the girl to handle and if she hadn't been 'convinced' otherwise the ending to that situation would've been much worse. The second 'ability' Alyssa had uncovered was even more dangerous. Her infectious blood had the potential to wipe out the entire group should Alyssa bite or scratch anyone. Some of the other rebels had suggested she be killed there and then like a brain dead virus carrier but such notions were overruled.

Even now Jill and Carlos had be careful around Alyssa, one drop of blood or even a smear of saliva that managed to get on them and they too would turn into mindless flesh eaters and the virus would spread throughout the small country towns in the Atherton Tablelands. However despite the two threats from the abilities Alyssa had she had managed to bring them both under control. Whatever Griffin placed in Alyssa's brain when he had imprisoned her was something totally different. It couldn't be brought under control and from what Jill had heard from Alyssa exerted a powerful form of command over her actions.

Thinking back to what Alyssa had said to her in the farmhouse gave Jill the shivers, _He made me kill someone Jill and there was nothing I could do to stop it_.

As Jill glanced up towards Carlos she noticed he was now looking at her with concern, "Ok you want to know so much I'll tell you just please don't react to Alyssa after this, the kid trusted me and now I'm blabbing it to someone else"

Carlos had now moved closer to Jill and was now standing beside her, he leaned in towards her, his aftershave making Jill's nose twitch, "But I'm not just someone else am I?"

Sighing again Jill began to speak all the while watching Carlos's expressions change to match what he was thinking.

When Alyssa slept she began to dream and when she began to dream she saw things that she had been trying to repress for a long time. It was one such dream or memory that she had tried to forget even though it had happened almost two and a half years ago.

* * *

Griffin had always been obsessed with the regenerative qualities that those who had combined with the virus had and there weren't that many successful survivors of such an experiment around.

Alyssa was only fifteen when she was first introduced to her rival and second tormentor in her life, a woman by the name of Alice Abernathy. Although Griffin had different procedures to test Alyssa's regenerative abilities that she despised which included dripping acid on outstretched limb or simply slicing into the nerve endings along the arm's muscles it was Alice who took an almost sadistic kind of pleasure by allowing Alyssa not to properly heal.

It was during what Griffin had started to call 'sessions' around Alyssa when she was left alone in her sterile steel cell with Alice when such torments would occur. Alyssa knew very well that when the 'sessions' began that somewhere hidden in the Bluewater complex Griffin was watching with sick fascination but he never intervened allowing them to play out.

She was still young and scared then especially during the early 'sessions' when she would scream in pain when Alice would project high pitch frequency noises directly into her mind. This particular session was one that Alyssa had wanted to forget, she had all but blocked it from her mind and yet for some reason it still remained. It was the first time that Alice had brought something in with her, the long thin samurai blades that she slowly took out one at a time and placed them on the floor, her icy glare never leaving Alyssa. By this time Alyssa was up against the wall, she was still recovering from the latest procedure that Griffin had put her through. She could faintly remember what that procedure was, it had something to do with her blood and it's properties. Alyssa had been strapped to a steel chair and could only watch in horror as the thin tubes that were in her arms fill with her blood.

Now as she stared back at her rival Alyssa felt light headed which made sense in a way, despite being what she was a long blood letting procedure took its toll on anyone, superhuman or otherwise. Alyssa suddenly had a faint urge to walk across the room towards Alice but she shook it off. She knew very well that Alice was attempting to command her the same way she directed others to do things against their own free will. Being similar to what Alice was Alyssa wasn't as easily convinced to follow out the instructions and remained up against the steel wall. She could sense Alice's frustration and Alyssa silently hoped that it would be enough for her to back off, one time such a session ended because Alice's telekinetic abilities refused to work on Alyssa. But she knew in the back of her mind that Alice would not give up so easily.

Suddenly Alice was right beside Alyssa, her blue eyes glaring into Alyssa's own frightened green ones. She was also smiling which was not a good thing in Alyssa's case, when Alice glared and smiled coldly it was a sign that far worse torments would soon follow. Alyssa tried to pull away from her rival but could only watch on as Alice suddenly grabbed a hold of her right arm and cut into it with one of her swords.

It all seemed to play out in slow motion, first the pale underside of the arm outstretched, then the sword cutting into the flesh and finally a long thin line that began to drip blood onto the cement flooring. The sword came again and cut even deeper, more blood flowed, Alyssa could see the red tendons in her arm, she tried to move away but only fell forwards onto the floor. Struggling up again Alyssa realized that something wasn't right; the cuts on her arm should have healed by now but they were still open and bleeding. When the sword came down again Alyssa moved out of the way although she couldn't feel any pain the same way normal human beings felt it was the cold sensation that replaced the pain which disturbed Alyssa the most.

As Alyssa moved away from the dancing sword she left a trail of blood behind, no doubt from her arm, she wanted to get as far away from Alice as possible. She knew Alice was the reason why her wounds had not healed and she didn't want to know how Alice could prevent such an act from happening.

Going back up against the wall Alyssa pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped both her arms around them, in such a position it was impossible even for someone like Alice to inflict an injury on her arms and legs without striking something else.

But Alice wasn't done taunting Alyssa yet.

During the 'sessions' Alice very rarely spoke, she only ever stared back at Alyssa, relishing her suffering like someone who savours the last drop of fine wine.

This time however was different.

Crouching down in front of Alyssa who was doing her best to look brave Alice thrust the blood stained sword under Alyssa's chin forcing the girl to look directly at her.

"How does it feel Alyssa, to be unable to use your abilities? See your blood and remember it, remember how defenceless you were when it was spilt and make sure it never happens again because if it does then you're no better off then the rest of the human race" Alice said in a harsh tone, her blue eyes flashed with anger hinting to the fact that she could go deeper in her torments but was forced to hold back.

As Alice slowly stood up Alyssa noticed that the wounds were starting to close up but the regeneration was gradually taking place no doubt her body was confused as to why it wasn't able to repair itself before hence the slow heal.

Rubbing under her chin Alyssa was surprised to see that the sword had slightly nicked her which brought on a new flow of blood. Ignoring the thin coating of blood on her hand Alyssa glanced up towards Alice to see her standing at the far end of the room smiling cruelly while holding a single bloodstained sword.

"What you have in your blood is very special Alyssa but your blood is only a small part of what you are, failure to accept that and you'll die, you're still mostly human and there are many ways that death can catch up to you" Alice then pressed her free hand on the steel door and it slid open. Turning back to Alyssa one last time she still kept her grin, "Think about it do you want to live or die inside these walls?"

The moment Alice exited the room the bright lights above Alyssa went out plunging the room into darkness.

* * *

Hearing someone call her name Alyssa suddenly opened her eyes to stare into the worried face of Jill who was standing over her.

"You looked like you were having another bad dream" Jill said her face clouding with concern. "We'll be landing soon thought you might want to start getting ready"

Alyssa only nodded and noticed that Carlos was a few feet away from Jill, his expression of concern similar if not slightly worse. "You told him didn't you?"

Jill didn't even try reasoning with Alyssa she knew what the girl spoke of, "Alyssa…"

"It's ok I understand, I was wrong to keep it from the two of you for so long" Alyssa replied cutting Jill off.

Standing up Alyssa first stretched then rolled her neck about on her thin shoulders before walking behind the armoured truck's sides.

Puzzled, Jill only walked back to Carlos while frowning.

"I could've sworn Alyssa was going to get angry at the fact I told someone else about you know what" Jill said. "The reaction was strange but at the same time what I would have expected"

"Alyssa's growing up, she's not a wide-eyed kid anymore, parts of her mind are changing getting older" Carlos pointed out.

Jill only slightly turned to stare at the stainless steel wall of the truck and sighed, "Let's hope those changes in the mind are natural and not because of some damn procedure in a lab" she muttered.

Carlos could only silently agree and listen to the engines change their pitch as the plane made its slow decent.


	9. Meeting Nathaniel

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

After bidding a very suspicious Frank goodbye the truck was slowly backed out of the large transport carrier onto the sandy bitumen road.

Upon reaching the desert outskirts of Birdsville Alyssa had refused to leave the truck and only stared out of the now dusty windows as she pulled the thick fabric scarf over her head to form a hood.

The outskirts that surrounded the town of Birdsville weren't very much to look at. Here in the sun baked landscape hardly any plant life flourished save for the occasional tiny shrub with blackened leaves from the heat. The animal life was as rare as the plant kind with only a small group of ragged looking kangaroos that watched the truck drive past. The group of six only casually glanced at the strange vehicle that dared to invade their territory through tired eyes. The animals appeared to be on their last legs with their patchy fur, skeletal appearance and heaving chests, they were like harbingers of death being only kept alive by the dismal landscape they lived in.

There was however one feature that stuck out on the harsh landscape and as the truck drew closer to it more detail could be seen.

Alyssa who had been quiet for the entire journey suddenly sat up in the seat to stare at the strange sight that was coming towards them, "What is that thing?"

Jill regarded the strange sight in a bored gaze, she'd seen it before on tourist websites and the 'landmark' was no different in real life, "Well for starters it's a wall"

"I can see that, but the what's it doing here?"

Carlos frowned towards Alyssa, "You've never heard about that wall before?"

Alyssa only shook her head as she stared back at the wall of white that had suddenly reared up in front of the truck, "Should I have?"

"Actually there's not much to it only that the Australian government wasted heaps of money trying to build it in a vain attempt to stop the sand from moving and engulfing smaller towns" Jill explained. "But it didn't work out and a few years after the wall was built the majority of it was torn down, only part of it that still exists is the exit and some parts of the wall"

Carlos suddenly lurched forward in the seat while muttering something in Spanish, "I wish Trent would've given us more information regarding these regions"

Glancing through the windscreen Jill saw the reason for Carlos's reaction, not too far way was a small sentry box anchored to the wall's large opening. "It doesn't look like much, one guard tops and I don't think they have ID scanners out here, in these desert settlements a lot of the technology gets ruined by the sand storms"

Nodding and gripping the wheel tightly Carlos sighed, "I hope you're right because we're just about to meet the sentry"

The guard who waddled out of the sentry box was a middle age man that bore more of a resemblance to a beach ball then anything else. He even wore a colourful-stripped shirt with the same patterning that would give any epileptic onlooker seizures.

When the guard finally reached the driver's side window he was drenched in sweat, red in the face while breathing heavily. He gave a quick glance towards Alyssa, Jill and Carlos before speaking, "Just passing through?" he wheezed.

Carlos only nodded, "Here to see the sights"

The guard only snorted, "Good luck finding them the desert's taking it back pretty quick"

The large man then suddenly broke into a fit of laughter that shook his body, turning to wave the truck on he then turned back towards Carlos, "If I were you I'd stay away from the local bars ain't nothing but couriers there lowest scum out here, though you look like the adventurous kind, your safest bet is to meet up with Nathaniel the only courier I respect"

Slowly waddling back to the white sentry box the guard got inside and shut the door.

The whole encounter had left the group confused but relived at the same time it seemed that their journey into the desert was off to a good start.

It wouldn't stay safe for long however.

* * *

When Griffin was interrupted for the second time by an out of breath lab tech he was in the middle of examining the latest victim of the testing grounds. This particular clone had only entered a room before they could do anything else triggered a trip wire hidden on the floor easily decapitating them.

Turning towards the boyish faced lab tech Griffin slowly removed the bloodstained gloves from his hands, "What did I say before about interrupting me during an autopsy, wasn't the first time enough?"

"I'm sorry sir but you did say if there were any changes in the Winterstone girl's position to notify you immediately" the young man gasped.

By now the other two surgeons that were with Griffin appeared beside him, facing the pair he spoke, "Finish the examination, remove the organs and run a sample of the blood through the filters note any anomalies on the chart"

The two surgeons nodded and moved back towards the body.

Exiting the room Griffin followed the lab tech down a brightly lit steel hallway and into a semi darkened room where a large transparent flat screen sat above several other monitors and computer equipment. The flat screen showed the dry sandy regions of the deserts in Australia. A faint circle could be seen near Birdsville, although it remained stationary Griffin only had to look at this and smile. _She's so close and it seems that we no longer have to search for Alyssa anymore; she's coming to me all by herself_ he thought.

"How current is this information?" Griffin asked still staring at the screen.

"It was last updated half an hour ago so it's fairly new" the man replied.

"I think now is the time our little hand held camera be let loose seeming as the specimen is within our reach"

Hearing this the man turned in his chair to face Griffin, "But the committee…"

"It has been accepted by the committee that in order to retrieve Alyssa Winterstone various procedures must be put into place and in order to gather more data certain events must take place" Griffin said cutting the lab tech off.

Knowing it was foolish to start an argument with a superior the man only nodded and turned back towards the monitor, "I'll start bringing the video uplinks and command system online"

Griffin nodded and stepped away from the screen, "See that you do that and make sure the uplinks can be accessed from all the Spheres"

Glancing at the screen again which showed the faint circle Griffin still kept his cruel smile, _You're almost home Alyssa just a little further and you'll be back with your rightful owner_.

* * *

The large building that stood away from the various other structures in Birdsville had at one point been a holiday inn for travellers. In fact the entire building still pretty much resembled it's past self being that the reception area was still intact along with a few of the original rooms beside it. The sign out the front of the building had been slightly altered, no longer did it have the neon lights that had been long since pilfered by thieves or destroyed by the elements instead it had a single piece of corrugated iron held in place by thick nails. It was decorated with various skulls of animals some badly misshapen while others went beyond recognition.

_The Last Bullet_ the sign read and by the looks of things a few had disagreed by peppering the iron with bullet holes.

All along the outside were various vehicles, a few were heavily armoured and moreover resembled the kind found in the Mad Max movies then anything else.

Pulling up alongside an armoured bus Carlos gave a low whistle, "These people certainly take it serious out here"

"The law doesn't exist in the desert areas, here fuel and water are more important then gold or silver" Jill replied. "I just hope we're doing the right thing"

Carlos shrugged, "Sure we are, besides we'd stand out less to Umbrella if we travelled with a whole group of people"

"At the same time we can't drag those people into what we do" Alyssa suddenly spoke up. She then turned to face the pair, "Right?"

Opening the door Carlos only nodded before getting out.

Alyssa did the same and soon Jill and herself were walking towards the entrance of the building.

A group of teenagers smoking gave the group a casual glance before one blew a large puff of smoke in their direction. Seeing this Jill shook her head, she'd given up smoking a long time ago and now seeing the gang of teens lighting up made her want to grab what they were smoking from their mouths and throw it on the ground but she resisted the urge. _What good would it do, I can't play officer morality anymore_. Jill thought as she crossed the brick flooring.

As Carlos opened the door he waited until Jill and Alyssa were close to him before speaking quietly, "I think it's best if we all stay together on this and try and find this Nathaniel guy"

Jill nodded as she glanced around into the semi darkness of the room, "Let's hope he's easy to find"

A few of the patrons had started to stare at the strange sight of a thin girl with long white hair, some whispered while still keeping their eyes on Alyssa.

Jill noticed this too and lightly prodded Alyssa, when the girl turned towards her she only gestured towards the scarf, "Alyssa…" she whispered. Alyssa only nodded and pulled her hair in behind the scarf and tightly tied it at the back of her head.

In the murky darkness not much detail could be seen regarding the room itself, though it appeared to resemble a bar complete with a lounging area that had a few pinball machines and billiard table.

By now the curious on lookers had returned to talking and drinking forgetting about the strangers that had entered their sanctum.

Overhead the crackly old speakers belted out tunes to old forgotten songs in some parts skipping over an entire chorus. Such an error in the music was overlooked due to the loud talking and clinking of glasses that filled the room.

"So…where do we start?" Jill asked cringing when the speakers played over the skip in the hidden cd.

A tall man with dark skin wearing a ragged plaid shirt and a pair of dirty jeans suddenly approached the group. Looking directly at Jill, he smiled revealing a mouth with mostly blackened teeth, "You're all new here right?"

Carlos stepped forward in front of Jill and Alyssa, "Who wants to know?"

The man only held up his hands and took a step back, "Whoa easy there buddy I didn't mean anything by it just thought you'd be looking to join up with old Nathaniel's group"

Hearing the name Jill moved beside Carlos, Nathaniel was mentioned by the fat wheezing gatekeeper when they first entered Birdsville. "So he is here?"

Glancing towards Jill the man frowned, "You're American? Hmm I don't think that'll sit well with Nathaniel" he then shrugged. "Who am I to judge people I mean by the way you were all looking at me a while back I guess anything goes, come on this way"

Both Jill and Carlos followed the man through a large group of laughing people, Alyssa trailed behind them like a ghost ignoring the strange looks she received when passing by the tables.

Approaching a large table half submerged in the darkness of the bar the tall man walked straight up to a man in his early forties with broad shoulders, muscled arms and chest and buzz cut of red hair. Glancing up at the group the muscled man then turned from the tall man and beckoned towards the group, "Come closer you look like a bunch of stunned roos for gosh sakes"

A young girl suddenly ran out from underneath the table clutching a tattered colouring in book, she ran towards an elderly looking woman who nodded towards the muscled man. Taking the young girl by the hand the elderly woman led her away and outside the bar.

After the pair left, the man leaned back against his seat and stared at the group, "You three don't seem the type to be travelling out through the desert"

"Excuse me?" Jill asked.

The man leaned forward and spoke softly, "See there's only two kinds of people who'd go willingly into the desert: those that have nothing left to live for and those that have lost their minds, god damn fruitcakes who chase the stars thinking they're angels or some other shit like that"

"I'm guessing you're Nathaniel then?" Carlos spoke up.

Nathaniel only leaned back against the rickety chair, "You're not American?"

"What's wrong with that?" Jill inquired. "You seem to harbour a hate?"

"Nah not hate just that you all sound the same and my communication expert for my convoy, Camellia, already drives me up the wall, I don't have anything personal against them, they pay just as anyone else who joins up with me"

"So what is it that you do exactly?" Alyssa suddenly asked. "You have a convoy of what?"

Glancing towards Alyssa, Nathaniel gestured to her tightly bound head, "Here I was thinking you were a mute, I saw you when you first entered you don't have to hide that hair of yours"

Alyssa only slightly turned away, "It's the latest fashion and I want to keep up to date"

Hearing this Nathaniel only smiled and shook his head, making eye contact with Jill he spoke, "I run people and supplies back and forth between Birdsville and Broome nothing serious but it does get rough out there heck with all the biker gangs and infected"

"You mean sick people like lepers?" Carlos asked.

"Even better, I've only ever run into those sons of bitches twice and they took down some of my best men. Don't know what they are only that if you're bitten by one you get whatever they have and die within a few hours. Probably due to that reactor out in the middle of the desert that sunk down into the earth years ago when some scientific smart arse thought it'd be good if Australia went all nuclear guess it didn't go quite to plan"

"We're heading that way ourselves…" Jill started to say.

"You want to join my convoy?" Nathaniel replied cutting Jill off.

"We wouldn't just be tagalongs both my partner and myself have a military background and could provide necessary back up if the convoy runs into trouble"

Nathaniel then glanced over towards Alyssa, "What about you?"

Alyssa only smiled faintly and undid the scarf that covered her head, her white hair flowing onto her shoulders, "I can look after myself"

Sitting back on his chair Nathaniel studied the group while frowning, he then shrugged, "I normally don't travel with wanted criminals but in your case I'll make an exception, you people are doing good work and I think I'd feel like a total prick if I turned you down"

Jill quickly glanced towards Carlos and Alyssa who appeared to be slightly shocked by what Nathaniel said.

Nathaniel only picked up a toothpick off the table and began to chew on it, "Don't worry the storm troopers won't drag you off they hardly come through here so relax and don't try to lie to me, I've seen pictures of you Jill and your friend Carlos and whispers of a girl by the name of Alyssa that travels with you so all three of you are pretty well known but you have a lot of fans here"

Alyssa had noticed that a few people had gathered around the table, some were smiling and nodding as if to agree with Nathaniel.

Getting up out of his chair Nathaniel turned towards Jill, "These are good people out here, we may not get a heap of news but what we do get is enough to know that things aren't right in this world, I leave in twenty minutes you'll be in forth position behind the petrol tanker. My rules are simple, no secrets, no stealing and no back talking and you'll survive, don't obey the rules you're out in the cold and on your own"

As Nathaniel walked through the group a few of the members shook his hand while smiling while others gave him high fives.

After Nathaniel left, Carlos turned towards Jill, "Well I think that went well"

The only response from Jill was a blank look followed by a sigh.


	10. Farmhouse of the Hyper Sapiens

_Next round of chapters ups the action and encounters between both enemies known and unknown. More on the way as I am currently editing them but the flow of new additions will keep coming, hopefully_

**

* * *

****Chapter Nine**

* * *

Walking outside after the meeting with Nathaniel, Jill was surprised to find that the majority of armoured vehicles had moved away from the bar and now were starting to position themselves into a straight line.

The door to a large black rig opened and Nathaniel slowly descended the metal ladder. The small girl seen earlier in the bar suddenly rushed forward and into the open arms of Nathaniel who hugged the girl tightly and then helped her up the ladder. Looking straight at the group he began to approach them while slowly removing a large shotgun from his back.

Watching Nathaniel walk towards them Jill sighed, "I just hope we're doing the right thing"

Alyssa only glanced up towards the sky briefly while tying the scarf around her head, "It's too late to back out now"

When Nathaniel was a few feet away from them Carlos pointed towards the shotgun Nathaniel had, "That's an older model isn't it?"

Nathaniel beamed proudly at the remark, "I see you know your weapons, used to be my old man's back in the day when he was a champion sharpshooter he'd always take out the competition without breaking a sweat, they called him Hawkeye Harry till one day his weapon backfired and killed him" he patted the shotgun. "This is the gun responsible for my father's death"

"You carry around the weapon that killed your father?" Jill asked in disgust, she suddenly felt unsafe travelling with someone like Nathaniel.

"I carry it because my old man promised it to me when I was young, it's never backfired on me because I take care of it" Nathaniel then turned to stare across the bright landscape. "Besides I always thought the gun was rigged to go off before my father went into the finals but who am I to judge, could've been that he was slipping, this weapon is my last line of defence against those biker gangs and god knows what else that want to hurt me or my daughter Kirsty"

Nathaniel then gestured towards the steel plated truck the group had come in, "Before we move off I'd like to know what's in the back of that truck of yours I don't want any trouble during the journey"

Hearing this made Alyssa suddenly remember about the rest of the 'team' that was sitting in the back of the truck. She could only imagine Nemesis and Deception standing in the sweltering heat of the truck patiently waiting for the group to move out. _I can't believe I forgot about them with all that's been going on, spying satellites and convoys…_ her thoughts trailed off when hearing Jill speak up.

"It's nothing serious just a few supplies, actually to tell you the truth we hardly use the back, most of the stuff we carry is in the front with us" Jill said.

Nathaniel eyed Jill suspiciously, "I wouldn't think that you rebels were the type who'd carry drugs, maybe that empty space can be used for something later on" when noticing Jill's reaction, which was a slight averted gaze, Nathaniel leaned in closer, "If you have something nasty in the back which has the potential to break up my convoy then ditch it now or don't come, these people trust me with their lives and don't take lightly to those who want to endanger them understand?"

"Well would it sit better with you if we admitted that the back had two genetically modified creatures created for the use of up front combat?" Carlos replied. "Is that a more plausible answer?"

Stepping away from the group while shaking his head Nathaniel muttered under his breath before walking towards his truck.

"I guess he didn't like the truth," Carlos said watching Nathaniel leave.

Alyssa only glared back at Carlos, her green eyes appearing to burn a hole through his skin, "Why did you say that? Nathaniel could've gone and looked in the back and discovered Nemesis and Deception!"

Carlos shrugged, "Sometimes in order to tell the truth you have to use humour, anyway no one believes the most obvious answer"

Alyssa only walked past Jill and Carlos while shaking her head; she then opened the door to the truck and got inside.

"Hi there!" a cheery female voice said behind the pair.

As both turned they saw a woman with a young looking face dressed in a red tank top and black slacks. She wore an akubra on her head of long brown hair while all over her arms were various watches.

She held out her hand while smiling, "I'm Camellia and you must be Jill and Carlos right?"

Taking a hold of Camellia's outstretched hand Carlos shook it, "How did you know?"

"I am in charge of the communications for Nathaniel's convoy, ever since you've been here in Australia I've heard police reports and news bulletins" she then lowered her voice. "Is it true what happened on that tape? I mean anyone could pull that off with the right equipment and special effects"

Jill only sighed and turned slightly away from Camellia, she could understand the reason for Nathaniel's annoyance for the American accent. _I've only listened to Camellia for a few minutes and already I feel like wanting to strangle her_.

Hearing the large rig of Nathaniel's start up Camellia quickly reached into the satchel she'd been carrying and brought out a radio which had a comm. link that hung from its side, "You might need one of these, just tune it to frequency eight on the dial, Nathaniel doesn't say much when on the road but when he does you better listen"

Taking the radio from Camellia, Jill pointed towards the watches she wore, "What are they for?"

Camellia glanced at them, "I won them and it helps me manage time in other countries, every so often I talk to a few international listeners and I'd like to know their time so I'm not calling them in the middle of the night" she gestured towards the large red SUV that had a small orbiting satellite dish on top, "That's mine, if you need anything when we stop you'll know where to find me"

Separating, all three then ran towards their vehicles as the rest of the convoy slowly started to move off leaving _The Last Bullet_ far behind in the choking dust.

* * *

The brightly lit landscape caused Alyssa to turn away from the window and rub her eyes. Already the convoy had been travelling for an hour and a half but sitting in the same position for any amount of time caused her muscles to tighten up. Faintly she could sense both Nemesis and Deception, the monsters wanted to get out from the cramped back of the truck but knew they couldn't. _I know how you two feel_. Alyssa thought. _I long for freedom as well_.

Seeing Alyssa's actions Jill slightly turned to face her, "You feeling ok?"

Alyssa only nodded back while still rubbing her eyes, "It's bright out there and my eyes are starting to hurt"

Carlos only grinned when hearing this, "That's why the desert is a no man's land, out here it's only the glaring sun and horrible heat"

"And the tour guide said the opposite" Alyssa said in a sarcastic tone as she stared through the windscreen.

The radio on the front dashboard suddenly crackled to life and a muffled voice began to speak.

Keeping one eye on the truck in front of them Carlos reached forward and fiddled with the tuning knob, "I knew I should've fixed this before we left"

By the time Carlos had managed to get a clear signal the board cast was almost finished. The only word all three caught was 'farmhouse'

Carlos only frowned when hearing the word mentioned, "What do you think he…?"

"Look out in front of you!" Jill shouted.

Glancing forward, Carlos suddenly slammed on the brakes as the large rig in front had decided to suddenly come to a halt.

Alyssa heard a soft snarl and growl behind her; obviously Nemesis and Deception had been caught off balance when the truck had stopped.

Jill snatched up the comm. link for the radio and spoke into it, "What the heck is going on Nathaniel did someone bust a tire?"

"Didn't you hear me before? I said a farmhouse has been sighted and I'm sending a few scouts to check it out, we might find some supplies there" Nathaniel replied. "I don't want anyone else coming out till I give the all clear"

Alyssa had resumed her observation of the landscape while Jill was talking seeming completely oblivious to the fact that the van had almost crashed, "There's lots of old cars nearby" she suddenly said. "We aren't the first ones to come through here"

"Hey now that you mention it there is quite a few abandoned vehicles" Carlos remarked. "There could be some fuel in them"

Jill shook her head, "If they've stopped here I highly doubt the petrol's still in the tank"

Checking to see if her magnum was in its holster Jill spoke into the comm. link again, "Carlos and I are coming out Nathaniel, the more eyes there are the quicker the search" she then switched off the radio so no reply could come back.

Carlos only shook his head, "Way to tell the leader of the convoy Jill"

"Didn't have much of a choice and you should know how I react to abandoned places by now" Jill replied shrugging.

By now Alyssa had opened the door to the passengers side and slid out onto the rocky ground.

When both Jill and Carlos got out Alyssa slowly approached them. Jill noticed that Alyssa had both handguns strapped to her legs. _I should've told her to stay behind but then again I'd only be wasting my breath_.

All three nodded and began to walk slowly up the line of vehicles. By the time they reached the front of the convoy Nathaniel appeared to be waiting for the trio. He only nodded towards Jill, "No hero stuff understand? As it is this whole ordeal isn't sitting easy with me, don't make me reconsider allowing you to come along"

Nathaniel then moved off with his shotgun in hand followed by several other rugged looking men.

As Carlos moved forward he noticed that Alyssa hadn't taken a step. She was standing away from the pair rubbing her forehead with her left hand.

"Hey, you alright?" Carlos asked.

Alyssa seemed to snap out of her daze and nodded, "Just a headache nothing to worry about"

"Look at this place" Jill commented. "Either it's a car graveyard or…"

"Goddamn farm for the rich" Nathaniel replied as he stepped out from behind a rusting ute. "A few years ago this place would've been alive with green fields, vegetables, fruit, you name it"

"What happened?"

Nathaniel turned to face Jill, "What always happens, the rich moved away and the farms failed"

"Why couldn't they just sell what they grew to the rest of the public?"

"Because of all the chemicals that were put into the produce, those richies honestly believed that there was stuff like anti aging agents and fertility drugs in carrots and apples, bit pathetic not to mention loony but who can blame them? Those rich eccentrics are sitting on fortunes that aren't going anywhere"

As the group neared the farmhouse Jill couldn't help but notice that the further they got to the building the more cars there were. _Strange how they just suddenly stopped here, it wouldn't be an EMP as that would have affected us too so what the hell is it about this place?_ She wondered.

Nathaniel crept across the rickety veranda and slowly made his way towards the rusted screen door. Motioning for the others to come forward he gripped the handle and turned it. The door swung open uttering a loud creak like a house in a horror movie. Both Nathaniel and his two gunmen quickly walked inside with Jill and Carlos at the rear.

When Alyssa approached the house she could faintly sense something wasn't right. _Not to mention hostile and hungry_ she thought walking inside.

Once all were inside Nathaniel turned towards the group, "Alright so far so good, here's how we'll play," he pointed towards a wooden staircase with faded red carpet on it. "Jill, your group will take the upper levels and see if you can find anything useful, blankets, water, food, you know the drill"

Jill only nodded, she knew better then to argue with Nathaniel.

Turning towards the two gunmen Nathaniel spoke, "Snake, Taser, you're with me, we'll take the kitchen and basement"

The tall man out of the pair grinned and slightly raised his handgun, "What about hostiles?"

"Do what you do best Snake" Nathaniel replied. "Alright everyone ten minutes to search this place then we move on, if you're not here when the time's up you're on your own"

The group then broke and went their separate ways.

As Alyssa climbed the staircase she knew the group wasn't alone, she could hear and sense hidden enemies.

"Jill we're not the only ones here" Alyssa said softly. "There's others here too"

Reaching the first door Carlos opened it and peered inside.

Jill turned towards Alyssa, "What do you mean by that?"

Carlos walked slowly inside and after a few seconds came back out, "It's clear but there's nothing useful there being a bedroom and all"

But Jill hadn't heard Carlos, she was focused on Alyssa, "Are you trying to say there's virus carriers here?"

Alyssa only nodded while retaining her serious expression, "They're here in this house but I don't know how many, there could be one or…"

A loud thump from the bedroom Carlos had recently explored caused the trio to look up.

Both Jill and Carlos raised their weapons and walked towards the sound while Alyssa followed behind them clenching her hands.

The small bedroom had already been stripped of anything useful.

A brown stained mattress sat on a low bed stand while beside it was a battered wooden bedside table. Again the thumping came causing the group to spin around in time to see a large wooden dresser slightly move.

Slowly Jill edged forward gripping her magnum. Curling her left hand around the cupboard's metal doorknob she turned it and quickly stepped back pointing her gun at the mysterious thumper.

As the doors slowly swung open a shrill cry suddenly filled the room.

* * *

Nathaniel had seen a lot of strange things in his life while travelling through the desert. He'd seen mummified corpses of unfortunate travellers frozen in their final death throes and the moon turn slowly red but what lay before him now topped the list.

Hearing Snake call his name Nathaniel went out the back door and into the yard. Only now the yard could've been renamed treasure trove. Every kind of item from watches to mobile phones had been dumped onto the thick grass.

The other gunman who only answered to the name Taser gave a low whistle as he walked around the tiny yard. "Look at this shit, it's been piling up for years," he said.

Nathaniel wasn't concerned over the contents of the yard he was more worried about the puddle of dried blood that was close by.

Both Taser and Snake had already started going through several piles of shoes and phones pausing every so often to inspect a battered phone or shredded sneaker before tossing it aside.

As Nathaniel went to call out, something stopped him or moreover a noise close by made him slightly turn towards a pile of rusted metal. The noise sounded like the low growl of a dog only it was throatier and slightly deeper. Nathaniel didn't have to wait long for the growler to reveal itself as a figure darted out from the pile and rushed towards him screaming like a hellish beast.

Instinctively Nathaniel fired his shotgun that easily blew a large hole straight through the screamer's torso. This didn't stop its advance and soon it was within a few feet of him. Before Nathaniel could fire again he heard several shots behind him, which caused the screaming creature to topple backwards onto the ground.

Turning, Nathaniel saw Snake and Taser approach him, "Took you two long enough to react"

Taser only shrugged and put on his best Mississippi drawl, "Gosh darn boss we both thought you were doing fine by and by"

Ignoring Taser's remark Nathaniel approached the twitching body to have a closer look at it. The body, with its large bleeding hole punched through the torso, seemed mostly human as it wore tattered clothes and had a thinning hairline.

Its hands were a different matter.

Instead of normal hands the fingers were long and thin, each one ended in a razor sharp claw.

Although the creature had only been dead for a few minutes, its rotten skin was almost enough to make Nathaniel turn away in disgust.

As Snake and Taser approached the body both gasped.

"What the hell is that thing?" Taser asked

"Sure ain't human" Snake remarked.

The clawed creature's eyes suddenly flickered open and as it uttered a shrill scream and attempted to rise from where it had fallen on the dry lawn. Taking aim Nathaniel fired at the creature's head easily rendering it to a bloodied gooey mush that splattered outwards and onto the pile of metal.

As the headless corpse sunk back to the ground Nathaniel turned back to Snake and Taser, "Let's go we're leaving"

* * *

The thin spindly figure shouted back to the group while waving their arms, "Don't eat me I gots too much to live for dog!"

Hearing the voice caused Jill to lower her weapon, "Cool Aid?" she asked cautiously. "Is that… you?"

The figure suddenly uncurled to show a very relived if not bedraggled Cool Aid, "Jill? Aww hell it's been ages didn't think I'd see you here"

By now both Carlos and Alyssa had slightly relaxed when realizing there was no threat.

Carlos noticed Alyssa had gravitated towards the back room leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Although seeing another human being was a relief it was also a concern. _Alyssa's never been wrong when it comes to sensing virus carriers when they're around and it doesn't appear Cool Aid is infected, why was she so off this time?_ he wondered. Ever since arriving at the farmhouse Alyssa had been acting strange as though she was in some kind of trance.

Jill's voice caused Carlos to snap back to reality and listen.

"What are you doing out here?" Jill asked.

Cool Aid shrugged as he slowly clambered out of the cupboard, "A couple a days ago I found me a group that would take me somewhere secluded away from murderous weirdos and shit, I damn trusted those fools to take me somewhere safe instead they drive me out here, knock me out cold, steal my shit and leave me for dead those god damn mother f-"

"Cool Aid!" Carlos warned.

Grinning sheepishly Cool Aid only nodded, "S'ok dog I know you got a kid with you all"

"I'm not a kid and I've heard worse" Alyssa called out from across the room.

Turning, Jill saw Alyssa give the entire group a slight glare before uncrossing her arms and walking towards the window. _I wonder what's eating her?_ she thought.

Faintly in the distance there came a loud screech followed by the sound of gunfire.

"Looks like this place isn't as abandoned as we first thought" Carlos remarked.

Jill shrugged, "Could have been that trigger happy Snake shooting at the local wildlife"

"It's them screwed up men!" Cool Aid said taking a few steps back. "This place is their crib and we're crashing it"

Before either Jill or Carlos could ask, Alyssa quickly snapped her head towards the open door, "It's coming!"

The sound of running feet echoed down the hallway outside followed by a shrill cry. A figure with long claws for hands wearing tattered bloodstained clothes suddenly appeared at the room's entrance. Throwing back its head the creature uttered a shrill cry, which abruptly ended when Alyssa shot at its throat.

This only caused the clawed thing to stumble back allowing Jill to get a clean head shot which floored the monster.

Cool Aid was already walking towards the door muttering curses while Jill glanced at Alyssa. Alyssa's expression had remained calm as though shooting a clawed humanoid was something she did everyday but at the same time it disturbed Jill. _That face reminds of…_her thoughts were cut off as Cool Aid cried out. Both Jill and Alyssa ran out of the bedroom in time to see three more of the strange clawed people slowly stalk towards Carlos and Cool Aid.

Firing a quick burst from his assault rifle Carlos then turned towards Jill, "I think it's time to go"

Jill only nodded and with Cool Aid between Alyssa and Carlos the group quickly raced down the hallway, descended the stairs and went outside.

No sooner had all four stepped out of the farmhouse did another ear piercing screech sound off followed by several others.

Alyssa glanced towards the convoy, "There's four approaching from behind"

Cool Aid shook his head, "Shit, those screwed up men are nasty, why didn't I stay hidden"

One of the clawed creatures suddenly snatched up a fleeing woman and started to drag her away.

Alyssa shot forward narrowly avoiding a backward swipe from one of the creatures. She easily caught up to the screaming woman and as the clawed monster took a large meaty chunk out of the woman's arm Alyssa called out to it.

The monster immediately reacted and looked up towards Alyssa. She took the chance to shoot the taloned abomination in the head. As the creature fell backwards Alyssa approached the woman. Already she could sense that the virus had infected her but the woman didn't seem to be moving. Normally when people had been bitten they would turn into a zombie a few seconds later but when the woman didn't jump up Alyssa left her where she lay.

As it was she could sense more of the clawed creatures.

Checking her handgun's ammo Alyssa strode forward ignoring the screams both human and non-human.


	11. Bloodied battle ground

**Chapter Ten **

* * *

Both Jill and Carlos had seen Alyssa run after the screaming woman in a vain attempt to save her but they had more important matters to address.

Two of the clawed creatures were attempting to smash through the windows of the armoured bus. Screams could be heard faintly over the loud screeching of the monsters as the pair rushed forward. Jill easily brought down both creatures with headshots as Carlos gestured towards the driver to barricade the doors. The driver, a fat sweating man only nodded and pointed down the bus while shouting, most probably to tell the passengers to close the windows.

When someone tapped Jill on the shoulder she quickly spun around to see Nathaniel covered in sweat and red in the face.

"Looks like we found company" he replied grinning. "Just don't know where the hell they all came from"

Another creature lunged at the pair and this time Jill got a proper look at their attacker.

There wasn't much to the monster's appearance that Jill hadn't seen before; blood splattered torn shirt and jeans, decaying skin that reeked of death. Her first thoughts were easily zombie. _But there's something about these ones that separate them from regular zombies, the claws for starters_. Jill thought _and their speed, these guys don't shuffle and moan_.

Cursing loudly Nathaniel easily blew the advancing clawed zombie away and turned towards Jill, "Those things seem to favour the back, go to the remaining vehicles and tell everyone to stay inside"

In such a situation Jill could only remain silent and finding Carlos and the now hysterical Cool Aid all three quickly made their way to the back of the convoy.

What they would encounter there however had the potential to make something like the clawed mutant zombies seem like a pleasant dream.

* * *

Kirsty had seen a lot of scary things in her life when travelling with her father.

She'd seen big mean people with knives threaten her daddy, ugly skinny women attempt to grab her when exiting the truck and even a dead camel that was being partially eaten by crows and flies.

But when she saw the funny looking man with claws that screamed, Kirsty realized he meant to hurt her. She tried to hide under her father's rig but the man followed her, breathing heavily and growling like a dog. Kirsty quickly scrambled away from the horrible man's grasp and getting up once again resumed her search for her father.

The sudden appearance of the loud men had caused Mrs Denver to panic and leave Kirsty behind. Mrs Denver had been told by daddy to look after Kirsty while he went off to explore the strange house nearby. She was a nice old lady but never seemed to stop talking and Kirsty really wanted to go with Camellia who always gave her lollies. But when the funny men showed up Mrs Denver ran away and the men followed her.

As Kirsty picked her way through the line of cars she heard daddy's voice close by. Feeling a rush of excitement and happiness Kirsty ran forward only to be cut off by one of the funny looking men. She had called them that because they didn't look like regular people, as normal people didn't have claws or scream all the time. The one that stood in front of Kirsty however would have to be called funny looking woman. For a few moments the woman stared back at Kirsty breathing heavily then she darted towards her screaming loudly.

Kirsty turned and ran back the way she came, feeling the hot breath of the woman on her neck caused Kirsty to run even faster. She'd always been a good runner, whenever other kids her age travelled in the convoy Kirsty would always race them and win. However she didn't see another of the funny looking men lying on the ground till it was too late.

Tripping over the right leg of the man Kirsty tumbled to the ground. Glancing up she saw the woman closing in on her. Something else also caught Kirsty's attention; the back of a truck was open slightly, just big enough for her to squeeze through.

The woman was almost on top of her as Kirsty struggled up and ran towards the truck. When reaching the back she found it was too high to climb into and the funny looking woman was right in front of her screaming and drooling.

Kirsty started to scream as the woman raised her left clawed arm to strike. But suddenly she was no longer outside in the heat she was in the back of the darkened truck, which smelt like mouldy old papers and cold medicine.

Hearing a loud roar beside her Kirsty had to look up to see her saviour, as he was huge. _A giant man saved me_. Kirsty thought as she watched her hero stop the funny looking woman with some vines that came out of his back. The giant man pulled the woman towards him with the purple vines and grabbed her with a large hand. He then proceeded to shake the woman a few times before dropping her out of view.

Kirsty wasn't scaredof the giant man despite the fact that in all her story books giants were horrible ugly creatures that ate people and squashed villages. When the giant man turned to face Kirsty he made a low growling noise.

Kirsty only smiled and gave her saviour a light hug, "Thank you" she said softly.

The giant only grunted and gently picking Kirsty up placed her outside the truck. Grabbing the open door she watched as the giant pulled it shut. Turning back towards the line of cars Kirsty realized that it had suddenly gone quiet.

Being six years old however such a lack of noise didn't bother Kirsty and she continued down the vehicles searching for her father.

* * *

The moment Alyssa saw another victim, a young boy in a blue shirt fall to the clawed zombies, something inside of her just snapped.

Ever since arriving at the abandoned farmhouse she had been fighting the urge to kill those around her, she had kept her distance from others to prevent anything tragic from playing out. Alyssa knew very well it was the implant in her that was responsible for this sudden onslaught as it was the same feeling she had back at the Glasshouse Mountains. Squeezing both her handguns Alyssa stepped towards the group of three zombies who were too preoccupied with their latest kill. _At least these creatures deserve what's coming _she thought _unlike before…_

Shaking the last thought from her head Alyssa continued her advance, her anger slightly rising with every step. The three zombies didn't even react to her slow approach despite she was now a few feet away from them. In a way it made sense, Alyssa carried the virus so she was seen as one of them.

Aiming her left hand gun at the slurping chomping creatures she picked off the nearest one with a headshot. As the corpse fell it hit one of the other zombies, which caused it to look up towards Alyssa and snarl. Somehow it had figured out that Alyssa was responsible for the interruption of its meal. Before the zombie could react however Alyssa ended its life by shooting it dead centre in the forehead.

The third zombie was a different matter; in between the killing of the first and second one it had leapt up off the ground and began a mad rush towards Alyssa screaming. The sudden movement of the zombie caught Alyssa off guard as it tackled her to the ground. She could feel and smell the hot rancid breath of the creature as it attempted to bite down onto her throat. As the teeth of the zombie lightly scraped the skin of her neck Alyssa jammed the muzzle of the right handgun into the open mouth and pulled the trigger. Almost immediately she was hit with a sprinkling of blood on her face as the creature's body weight temporarily pinned her to the ground. Alyssa only pushed the now very dead zombie off her and slowly stood up.

Catching a glimpse of what could have been Jill disappear around the side of a red SUV caused Alyssa to stride forward. What she found however was not an ally but instead six more of the clawed zombies that were slowly creeping forward. The creatures didn't even acknowledge Alyssa when she approached them but as of a few seconds ago Alyssa was beyond reasoning. Her anger and frustration were at their highest and although Alyssa had tried to repress it, when seeing the savage brutality of the zombies she didn't hold back.

As the six monsters advanced towards her Alyssa only saw enemies, faceless threats that had to be eliminated. Pointing her single handgun at the enemies she fired several shots. Each found their mark and four toppled down into the sand.

Behind her Alyssa could sense others approaching.

She slightly turned to see that the newcomers weren't zombies but Jill and a few members of the convoy, they only watched on with shocked expressions. Alyssa only ignored them, there were still enemies left and they were closing in fast. She was suddenly surrounded by a continuous on coming mass of snarling howling zombies that attacked from all directions.

Sliding her guns back into their holsters Alyssa leapt up and kicked the nearest zombie under it's decaying chin. The creature fell back spraying blood from it's broken jaw, the wet crack of its neck clearly audible. Darting aside from a lethal swipe Alyssa caught her attacker's arm broke it then spun him to the ground. There wasn't enough time to focus on one single enemy.

Another zombie came tearing towards Alyssa but a strong kick to the upper torso sent it tumbling to the ground, its spine broken.

With each enemy death Alyssa could feel her anger rising and she had no idea why and this disturbed her.

A further two zombies sprang out from behind a vehicle, Alyssa easily took them down with a spinning kick then delivered a punishing uppercut to one and broke the seconds neck.

The zombie with a broken arm had now recovered and ran towards Alyssa screaming while raising it's one good limb. Taking out one of her handguns Alyssa first snarled back at the creature in hatred then shot it in the head.

Another screaming enemy suddenly tackled her to the ground. As Alyssa landed on one of the rotting bodies she looked up at her attacker. It was none other then the woman who had been bitten earlier. Her red-rimmed eyes glared back at Alyssa as she was shoved aside. Getting quickly to her feet Alyssa glanced around the mini battlefield of blood and broken bodies.

The woman came at her again and Alyssa first contemplated stepping aside to avoid the attack but her hatred for the creatures had over ridden any sensible decisions or other feelings for that matter. Alyssa didn't need to pick up her handgun she dropped earlier she only strode forward and delivered a bone crunching kick to the woman's rib cage. She knew very well the kick alone would not kill her enemy and as the woman leapt back up spitting blood from her mouth Alyssa prepared to finish the zombie off.

Without hesitating Alyssa grabbed a hold of the screeching zombie's head and twisted it to the right sharply. The screaming instantly ceased but Alyssa's anger remained, she still wanted to kill enemies even though they were all dead.

_The group behind me, watching me…no…why am I even thinking about that?!? _Alyssa thought frantically _some of those people are good friends_.

Clenching her fists Alyssa was at first shocked with the sudden involuntary movements but at the same time calm. Her left hand brushed against the handgun still in its holster, shivering Alyssa withdrew her shaking hand.

_What's wrong with me? Why can't I suddenly control my actions?_

For one brief moment Alyssa thought that she would take up her gun and shoot the shocked onlookers, the urge to do so was very strong. The same feeling that came over her while at the Glasshouse Mountains was similar to what was happening now, a terrible moment where Alyssa's body wouldn't listen to the brain's commands.

Gritting her teeth Alyssa concentrated, _I didn't have a choice before but now I do_ she thought _I can stop this_.

After a few moments the strange sensation stopped and Alyssa let out a sigh of relief as her left arm relaxed by her side.

_Umbrella does not control me; I will not become one of their little experiments_.

Alyssa still felt angry but the feeling was rapidly disappearing. When staring out towards the rusted wrecks of abandoned vehicles she saw something that gave her the chills.

Or rather she saw someone.

Casually leaning against the side of a badly smashed truck was Alice.

At first Alyssa thought she was seeing things but when looking directly into those icy hate filled eyes she knew her rival was there.

The usual biker attire that Alice wore had been replaced to suit the desert conditions. She wore a sandy coloured tank top that was covered by an equally long coloured semi long trench coat. On her legs were short dark green pants while thick brown pointed boots completed her outfit. Although for the moment Alice seemed unarmed Alyssa knew that she would have brought some heavy artillery with her.

Alice made no motion towards Alyssa to suggest she wanted to fight the girl; she only stood staring back at Alyssa with her arms crossed while smirking.

When Alice lowered her gaze towards the mass of broken bodies that lay in a bleeding heap at Alyssa's feet she only looked back towards her before nodding and slowly backed away disappearing behind an old battered truck.

The message to Alyssa was quite simple: I'm here and I saw what you did.

Alyssa still stood frozen to the sandy ground, staring at the spot her rival was a few minutes ago. _How did she know where I was? Or maybe Alice had a little help from the Umbrella satellite_. She shivered at the thought that somewhere up in the sky an eye was watching her.

_Now Alice is here too, as if I didn't have enough problems already_.

A soft voice beside her made Alyssa snap back into reality.

Turning, she saw it was Jill who took a few cautious steps back while still retaining a worried expression.

"You ok Alyssa?" Jill asked quietly.

Alyssa only managed a weak nod before walking past Jill to retrieve her handgun dropped earlier.

By now the small group of spectators had disappeared and only Carlos and a few teenagers remained.

Sliding the gun back into its holster Alyssa sighed, the game had changed its rules once again and she knew now that convincing the rest of the convoy she was a normal human girl was going to be a challenge. Sensing that her little 'killer' act had slightly disturbed the teenagers it had also left them with a sense of awe.

Alyssa only shook her head while smiling faintly _Such is life I guess_.


	12. The torments and perils of Alice

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

The old deserted farmhouse had caught the attention of Alice as she sped across the landscape on her black Harley. She had only stopped for a few moments when sensing the clawed creatures from afar. They were hidden within the confines of the house and proved no threat for the meantime.

Things would stay quiet for long.

In the distance a long line of armoured vehicles slowly approached and at the same time Alice could sense something else that was rapidly nearing the house, someone who she'd been sent after to watch and capture. Before the convoy had even sighted the house Alice had moved her Harley away behind some sand dunes, she wanted her rival not to know she was here until the last moment.

Her various weapons also had to be left behind and were piled to one side near the wheels of the bike. Alice knew that regardless of being 'weapon less' if the time did come for a confrontation she'd be able to handle any on coming threat without the need for guns. By the time Alice had located a secure position to watch the convoy a few members had already started for the dilapidated house.

There was a heavily muscled man who was no doubt the leader and two other men dressed in plaid shirts holding handguns that followed behind him.

Then there were those who Alice was already familiar with.

Jill and Carlos followed the man quietly talking to each other while Alyssa kept her distance behind the pair pausing every so often to rub her head as though she was suffering from a bad headache. Seeing the girl only a few metres away from her hiding place made Alice grin and at the same time frustrated that she couldn't take her down then and there. _It would be so easy to breeze through guns blazing grab Alyssa and be off before anyone could get a proper shot_ she thought.

But Alice knew it was against the 'orders' Griffin had given her before setting off into the desert. Just thinking about the conversation with the always-casual doctor was enough for Alice to absentmindedly scratch at the angry flower mark on her right arm. Before leaving Griffin had produced a syringe that contained a clear orange liquid. Pressing it into Alice's arm he only explained it was something to help her focus on her true objectives but Alice knew what that syringe really contained yet had no choice but to allow such an injection to take place.

_Bullshit about it being a reminder, he put some experimental junk in me to test its effects_ Alice thought angrily.

She pictured Griffin lying strapped to a table while various cutting implements flew around him under her command, a scalpel dipped down low slicing into Griffin's face and this only made Alice smile as the image vanished. Ever since being paired with Griffin to act as a type of 'bodyguard' for his work he had been secretly using Alice as a test subject for different kinds of experimental stimulants being that her system was by far more advanced then that of a normal human beings. The majority of the time the stimulants had no effect and would dissipate as quickly as they had been injected.

However, there were times when side effects did surface and they weren't pretty, an unknown stimulant that Griffin hadn't named paralysed Alice for a few days while another temporarily blinded her. Despite the punishment her body had taken from such injections it had always managed to heal itself due to the T-virus she carried. However there was still cause for alarm whenever Griffin would pull out one of his little syringes that contained a coloured liquid and it would most likely stay that way until the doctor died.

_Which could be sooner then he thinks_ she thought gazing out towards the other members of the convoy who had slowly come out of their armoured vehicles with cautious steps.

Taking one last look at the now fading flower mark Alice then pulled the sleeve of her trench coat over it before going back to observing.

Her mind flicked back to what Griffin had said, her 'objectives' to the mission were simple: follow Alyssa at a distance, observe her and when the time is right capture her.

_Easier said then done_ Alice thought.

She knew very well the girl despised Griffin and all the procedures he'd put her through, convincing her to return to the life of a test subject wasn't going to be easy.

"Engaging in direct combat with Alyssa is not permitted, disobeying such an order will result in punishment" Griffin had said sternly.

This is what had made Alice angry in the first place, if she couldn't take down her rival when Alyssa refused to comply then what good was it coming out here in the first place?

Griffin had used all the threats possible before Alice left even to the point of waving around the silly little remote he always carried which had caused her to repress the urge to suddenly grab it from the smug doctor's hand and break it.

_Then we'd see who was in control_.

A loud screeching followed by several gunshots caused not only Alice to snap to attention but the people in the convoy to glance up at the noise. Nearby more shots were fired which seemed to come from inside the house, this too was followed by bone chilling cries.

Peering from behind her hiding place Alice saw that the virus carriers she'd sensed earlier were now seemingly appearing from nowhere and attacking the convoy. She only sat and watched in fascination at these new creatures, which appeared to be zombies with talons for hands drag off a few foolish people who didn't take cover quick enough.

A single clawed zombie dragged off an elderly woman wearing a blue dress, the creature was howling with delight as it threw the woman down onto the sand and closed in. So wrapped up with this entire scene as it unfolded Alice didn't notice another figure that ran up towards the creature. When the figure that was wearing a dark green scarf over their head called out to the zombie she realized her first objective was complete.

Even with the long sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans and black boots to protect them from the sun there was no mistaking the girlish voice of Alyssa Winterstone.

Alyssa shot the zombie in the head without hesitation but it was too late to save the woman, the creature had previously taken a bite out of her arm and infection would incur soon after. Though instead of shooting the woman as well Alyssa turned and walked off, her face serious as her eyes flashed with anger while raising twin silver handguns.

Seeing Alyssa as she was made Alice smile, the girl had taken a dramatic change since they'd last met. She was no longer the scared child who refused to fight, now she was something else, something more superior and worthy of fighting.

Soon the girl was surrounded by dozens of screeching snarling zombies all wanting to take a bite out of her flesh. At first it seemed that Alyssa would just allow the creatures to close in and rip her to shreds, there was however something different about the girl that Alice had sensed from the start and that was anger. Alyssa's anger had caused her actions to become faster and aggressive allowing her to take down the advancing enemies in a matter of moments.

_Looks like the lab brat has realized her true potential_ Alice thought as she watched Alyssa deliver a bone shattering kick to a nearby zombie. _Good, that'll make my job easier when the time comes to convince Alyssa to leave_.

The last creature that came rushing towards Alyssa was the woman who'd been bitten earlier. She was caught completely off guard by the attack and was pushed to the ground, however when leaping back up the girl didn't hesitate and broke the screaming woman zombie's neck.

By now Alice had moved closer and was standing a few feet away from where Alyssa was who seemed to be fighting the urge to grab her single handgun from the leg holster. Slowly stepping out from behind the rusted heap of a truck Alice saw the full extent of Alyssa's battle with the clawed zombies.

Alyssa was breathing heavily while clenching her fists as she stared back at Alice in a mixture of fear and confusion. Dark red blood was splattered across her shoulders and arms, this didn't seem to bother Alyssa and in the blazing heat of the setting sun some of the blood on her arms had started to dry and crack.

Both stared back at each other for a few moments not speaking a word or making a motion, cold blue eyes burning into the scared green pupils of a confused girl.

Alice only smiled cruelly and slowly disappeared back around the side of the truck. _Things definitely have changed; I might be able to work with that_.

Spying a rusted power transformer close to the house Alice began to work her way towards it, the image of the bloodied Alyssa still fresh in her mind. Momentarily Alice glanced up towards the cloudless sky as she weaved through the various abandoned vehicles. _Did you see that Griffin you sadistic bastard? Did you see what your precious Alyssa has become? _

Still keeping her grin Alice only lightly clenched her fists as she put distance between herself and Alyssa.

* * *

Carlos found Nathaniel standing in a yard full of different items, some of which had already fallen victim to the elements. He also noticed the headless bloodied bulk of a human being lying beside a large pile of metal.

Approaching Nathaniel he could hear the man muttering, "How did they move all this stuff in here?"

Hearing a crash Nathaniel turned towards it to see Taser and a tall man with ginger hair back away from a tower of cardboard boxes.

"Watch it I don't want another accident" he said. "We've already lost too much" The last part of was uttered in a low tone, clearly the recent attack had even affected the tough exterior of Nathaniel.

Nathaniel then turned towards Carlos, his face registering confusion and anger, "The girl that travels with you…"

"You saw some of it?" Carlos cut in.

"I only wanted to talk to you away from your girlfriend because I'd like a proper explanation not lies or something that's been rehearsed!" Nathaniel snapped.

Turning back to watch the tall ginger haired man carefully lift a box of shoes Nathaniel sighed, "Frankly I have no idea what I just saw and heard but I do know this, the only people who are capable of preforming such devastating hand to hand combat moves trained for years to get that right and they're all secret army techniques that only advanced soldiers can do which is reason why not every Tom, Dick and Harry learn them because even the experts sometimes slip and it only ends in tragedy"

Carlos shrugged, "Jill and I taught her a few moves and she picked up the rest from books and tv I guess"

"No, no that's crap, see you don't pick those moves up from watching Bruce Lee on tv, to pull off something like that you'd have to have had some degree of training. A few years back I had a few ex soldiers travel with me, they were bunch of smart arses didn't do anything but smoke and drink but when a small group of Infected attacked us, the way they fought back didn't even come as close to what your girl did"

When seeing that Carlos had fallen silent Nathaniel continued, "Is she from the army? Or is what I've been hearing for the past year true? That the girl is some kind of nut case that escaped from a medical facility because I can tell you now it ain't healthy to get a kick out of blowing the brains out of people even if they are freaks"

"They aren't freaks they're Hyper Sapiens" a small voice beside Carlos suddenly spoke up.

Both turned to see a small child in the age group of eight to ten wearing a striped shirt, short black pants, sandals and thick-rimmed glasses.

Seeing the boy Nathaniel sighed, "Timmy, go back to your mother she's probably looking for you"

Timmy only raised a comic book up in front of the pair that had a picture of a zombie with claws attacking a woman in a skimpy outfit. The title on the comic read _House of the Dead_. "See? The zombies in here are called Hyper Sapiens because they're smarter then regular zombies"

"There is no such thing as zombies, those people were just very sick and needed professional help" Nathaniel replied, he then gestured towards the door. "Now go back to your mother before I drag you back there and don't go flashing that comic around scaring the other kids understand?"

Seeming disappointed Timmy only lowered his head and tucking the comic book under his arm slowly backed towards the door.

Watching Timmy go Nathaniel shook his head, "If I was his age and saw a group of screaming freaks I'd be scarred for life but what does that Timmy do? He asks questions and names them"

Taser approached the pair holding a large cardboard box full of unmarked metal cans, "These are the only useful things here, it'll keep our supplies full so we don't have to ration them"

Picking one of the cans up Nathaniel first shook it then closely examined it; "Could be anything, cat food, rat poisoning" he then shrugged while tossing the can back into the box. "That techno kid Alvin would probably have a can opener on him somewhere ask if he can open a few up, if it's food then we'll keep it"

Once Taser and the other man had left Nathaniel and Carlos followed through.

Before exiting the house Nathaniel turned back towards Carlos, "I don't like what that Alyssa is capable of doing but I am grateful she got rid of those Hyper what's it things but you better tell me the truth sooner or later otherwise it might mean danger in the future, I'd like to know what I'm getting involved in"

Carlos only nodded and watched as Nathaniel walked outside.

The moment Nathaniel stepped down from the creaking veranda another small child ran up to him. The child, a little girl with short blond hair wearing a dress with a dolphin design on it, was none other then Nathaniel's own daughter Kirsty.

Nathaniel uttered one of his rare laughs as she scooped Kirsty up into his arms and hugged her back; "I thought I told you to stay with Mrs Denver, Kirsty, you had me very worried"

Kirsty only smiled back, "The funny men chased Mrs Denver but that's ok 'cause a giant saved me from getting eaten"

Hearing this mentioned confused Nathaniel and at the same time Carlos realized who this 'giant' could be that saved Kirsty.

"You mean Morrie the tall man on the bus?" Nathaniel asked.

Kirsty shook her head, "No daddy you silly head it was a real life giant like out of my story books, he saved me from the funny looking woman"

Nathaniel only sighed and hugged Kirsty again, "Well I'm just glad you're not hurt, come on you can help daddy prepare to leave this place ok?"

When Nathaniel had gone a fair distance Carlos then quickly went in search of Jill and Alyssa. He didn't need to look long as he found both leaning against the walls of the armoured truck talking to each other.

Alyssa had now changed out of her bloodstained clothes and was wearing a long sleeved sand coloured shirt and deep blue denim jeans.

As Carlos approached them they both looked up towards him.

"You heard what everyone's been talking about?" Alyssa asked.

"Depends on what that is, I've heard a few things such as a so called giant saving Nathaniel's daughter Kirsty from becoming Hyper Sapien chow" Carlos replied.

Alyssa shook her head, "I can't believe they've been named already"

"Actually I think it's a clever name if you ask me"

Opening the door to the truck Alyssa peered inside, she kept the metal door partly shut in the event that anyone unexpected should approach the group.

"Did you save Kirsty from those creatures?" Alyssa asked into the confines of the truck. When a soft wavering growl of 'yes' replied back Alyssa only shook her head while smiling thinly.

"You big softie, always having to play hero even to strangers" Alyssa remarked as she closed the door.

"Why did Nathaniel want to talk to you in private?" Jill asked.

Carlos shrugged, "He wanted an honest answer about what happened, Nathaniel seemed really disturbed and suspicious with the whole merciless killing"

Jill only sighed, "Well I knew one way or another it would come out just not this soon"

Alyssa crossed her arms and glared back at the pair, "If you're suggesting that I enjoyed killing those things think again, it was awful and at one point I didn't think I'd stop, besides more people would have died if I hadn't of helped"

It appeared that Alyssa wanted to say more but stopped herself from doing so; she only continued to lean against the steel wall of the truck.

"Well I will say one thing, Nathaniel was grateful that you helped out Alyssa but he was also scared probably like everyone else in the convoy" Carlos pointed out.

Alyssa only glanced up towards Carlos, her eyes full of fear, "I'm scared too, there was a moment back there when I began to think that I should hurt others, my abilities are one thing but this…" she trailed off. "I'm frightened about what I might become, that I'll only be a puppet on a string for Umbrella to control and that I will hurt people who are my friends"

She then walked past the pair and towards the front of the truck.

Jill and Carlos watched Alyssa go, they knew that stopping her wasn't an option.

"I just hope we get out of here soon" Jill sighed. "The sooner the better"

Carlos could only silently agree.

* * *

Nathaniel had just placed Kirsty in the driver's cabin of his rig when Snake approached him looking worried.

Snake had been a carpet python breeder before joining up with Nathaniel hence his name, he was only ever seen as a trigger happy character who never missed his mark but joked around to a point where his humour would start to get annoying. When he was serious however, Snake would put his jokes aside, especially if it meant the safety of the convoy he'd sworn to protect.

Nathaniel didn't even need to ask Snake what was wrong he got straight to the point, "How bad is it?"

Snake hesitated before speaking, "I think it's better if I showed you"

The pair then quickly walked up along the line of parked armoured vehicles and began to enter the mass of rusted cars.

"Taser and the others were just finishing on the graves when I spotted it" Snake said as he weaved through the vehicles.

Stopping by a large rusting hulk of a semi trailer Snake then pointed towards an old metal electric transformer tower.

At first Nathaniel didn't focus on the tower, his eyes only wandered over to the three graves that were a few metres away from the actual tower. When the bodies had been found there wasn't much left on them with the exception of Mrs Denver. She'd been discovered with the rotting corpses of the clawed people creatures, someone had broken her neck using tremendous strength judging by the way the woman's head flopped around when she was removed.

Nathaniel had heard from the group of teens who'd watched the entire fight with the mysterious Alyssa as she killed the creatures that she was responsible for Mrs Denver's fatal injuries as well but he easily dismissed it.

_Just rumours from a bunch of traumatized kids_ Nathaniel thought.

Mrs Denver was an elderly lady who'd taken it upon herself to look after Kirsty whenever the convoy stopped. She was sweet old lady who always had plenty of stories to tell listeners even if they started off on the same line, which was 'Back in my day…'

Now she was gone, her life taken away by an unknown assailant. Never would Mrs Denver's voice fill the air to tell a long story, never would her kind eyes gaze on Kirsty again in an almost motherly love and never would she speak to Nathaniel or anyone else for that matter. She was now dead, buried in a sandy grave with only a rusting tower to watch over her.

The other two victims was a teenage girl and young boy, Nathaniel hadn't even thought to know their names, they were a brother and sister duo that had chosen to travel with the convoy.

_They trusted me to protect them, to make sure they arrived at their destination safe_.

Nathaniel thought as he slowly gazed up towards the tower.

Seeing something a few metres up suddenly snapped Nathaniel back to reality as he sought to identify what it could be. It was definitely a person dressed in some kind of coat, the figure had their legs dangling down from one of the thick iron bar frames and was slowly kicking the air while leaning back as though they were relaxing on a resort.

The figure made Nathaniel feel uneasy, it seemed as though whoever it was, was watching the convoy, "It's not one of ours?"

Snake shook his head, "Nope and it ain't one of those thrill seeker teens either, I think I'd notice a long flapping coat like that"

The mysterious watcher suddenly became still as they continued to observe the actions below.

"Well whoever they are they aren't one of those Sapien things but I think it's for the best we leave, for all we know that could be a scout for one of those desert gangs" Nathaniel replied as he slowly moved off.

Snake slowly raised his handgun; "I could probably scare 'em with a single shot"

Nathaniel sharply turned towards Snake, "Leave it, I don't want twenty pissed off bikers chasing my convoy all because you want some target practice!"

Sighing, Snake put away the weapon and stepped back.

Taking one last look at the figure, which Nathaniel could've sworn, was now looking directly at him he began to make his way back to the convoy. It was getting dark and the sooner they all left the farmhouse behind the better.

* * *

_So how is it so far? Good? Bad? In between? Any feedback would be great!_


	13. Of dreams and scorpions

_This particular chapter was kind of inspired from a part I read in the RE: Extinction novel, the start of it that is, see if you can't remember the scene I'm referring to._

* * *

**Chapter Twelve **

* * *

The night that followed allowed Alyssa to sleep, but when she slept she also dreamed.

_Slowly the gun rose up_.

Lately all of her dreams were disturbing memories she wanted to repress.

_Slowly the gun rose up_

_The hand holding it was hers_

Ever since escaping from the Glasshouse Mountains Alyssa only slept for a few hours each night, her recent changes preventing her from claiming only the smallest amount of peace.

_Slowly the gun rose up_

_The hand holding it was hers_

_The man sitting at the table stared back at her in shock, his lips moving, no sound coming out_

It was almost as though some kind of mystic force was punishing Alyssa for being what she was, an unnatural creation living in a normal world.

_Slowly the gun rose up_

_The hand holding it was hers_

_The man sitting at the table stared back at her in shock, his lips moving, no sound coming out_

_A command from behind was issued, the cold voice ordering her to pull the trigger_.

Alyssa really didn't believe in things such as karma, sometimes she didn't think a god existed but she knew these dreams wouldn't stop until the ones responsible for them were dead.

_Slowly the gun rose up_

_The hand holding it was hers_

_The man sitting at the table stared back at her in shock, his lips moving, no sound coming out_

_A command from behind was issued, the cold voice ordering her to pull the trigger_.

_She pulled the trigger without hesitation, the bullet flew forward as though in slow motion towards the man in the lab coat at the steel table_

Then again Alyssa didn't really have time to question such beliefs, perhaps there was something that watched over humanity perhaps not.

_Slowly the gun rose up_

_The hand holding it was hers_

_The man sitting at the table stared back at her in shock, his lips moving, no sound coming out_

_A command from behind was issued, the cold voice ordering her to pull the trigger_.

_She pulled the trigger without hesitation, the bullet flew forward as though in slow motion towards the man in the lab coat at the steel table_

_The man's head exploded outwards like a red fire cracker, parts of his skull and brain splattered back like a large red hand stretching out to reach something, she could hear him behind her congratulating her in his cold cruel tone, the body slumped forward hitting the desk_

Once again when Alyssa woke covered in sweat with a horrible pounding headache she was in darkness. She pressed her hand up towards the glass of the truck; it was cool from the desert air outside. Alyssa knew she had to go outside, somehow the confines of the truck were no longer safe, they were claustrophobic and restrictive. Opening the door she slid out onto the sandy ground, the cool breeze of the desert washing over her, bringing with it that familiar scent of sand and earth.

Looking down the line of trucks Alyssa noticed a group of teens, their breath or smoke from cigarettes rose like faint life forces that disappeared into the dark night sky. Faintly she could hear them talking and laughing and Alyssa felt a pang of loneliness. She had never had friends her own age to talk to and do things with. Even when Alyssa was young her father had never allowed her to leave the house, she could remember a woman coming to the house they had lived in who had brought her own daughter with her but she wasn't allowed to mix with the daughter and was shut up in her room for the entire visit. In some ways Alyssa could understand her father's paranoia, she did after all carry the T/G virus and any direct contact could be fatal.

_Still it wasn't right to deny me of interacting with others my own age_ Alyssa thought as she gazed up at the night sky _I've never had friends who are capable of saying more then one word at a time_.

A shooting star suddenly shot across the sparkling sky, which caused Alyssa more alarm then marvel. She pulled the scarf, which was now around her neck up over her head and slowly took a few steps forward. Although Alyssa knew that the star was nothing more then a piece of debris entering the atmosphere she had become very paranoid about being watched by the orbiting Umbrella satellite. Alyssa could only imagine the satellite up in space closing in on her position due to her implant. It was most likely transmitting images of where she was constantly hence the reason to blend in with the desert. Alyssa reasoned that by hiding the one trait that could identify her from the 'eyes' of the satellite then it would be harder for Umbrella to find her, hence the whole scarf ordeal.

Movement below her caused Alyssa's gaze to fall suddenly from the sky towards the ground where a large black scorpion scuttled forward it's shining pinchers clicking in an unknown rhythm. Reaching down Alyssa picked the creature up, ignoring its gentle yet prickly feel of its needle point feet as they slowly worked their way up her palm.

A voice from behind caused Alyssa to turn around, the black scorpion still in her hand.

A group of four teens, three boys and girl dressed in shirts and jeans stared back at her.

A tall boy with short black hair stepped forward, "What you doing with that bug, you gonna eat it?"

Alyssa calmly stared back at the scorpion in her hand which was starting to climb her arm, placing it down onto the sand she shook her head, "Actually a scorpion isn't a bug as such, it's a member of the arachnid family"

The girl behind the black haired boy gave a little giggle and she stepped away. The other two boys had now stepped forward and began to circle Alyssa all the while staring back at her.

"You some kind of killer?" one of them asked "'Cause what we saw this afternoon kinda says you are"

Alyssa only lightly pushed the two circling teen boys aside and stepped through the gap, "How about we keep that to ourselves, it could be a secret, besides I won't tell if you won't"

The black haired boy looked up towards Alyssa with a look of surprise on his face, "You didn't see us before?"

Slowly backing away Alyssa shrugged, "Like I said it could be a secret if you want it to be" She then turned and started to put more steps behind her and the curious teens, the one thing Alyssa wanted was the whole convoy asking her questions or worse, excluding the entire group from safety.

_It's my fault and these damn abilities_ Alyssa thought angrily as she trudged forward _if those Hyper Sapien things hadn't of been there no one would be suspicious now all of us risk being kicked out because I can't help myself when it comes to saving people_.

A door to a red SUV suddenly flung open and Camellia stepped out while stretching her arms. Inside the vehicle a radio crackled static along with faint music.

Alyssa was so lost in her own emotional state that she didn't see Camellia at first and almost ran into her. Camellia looked towards Alyssa while yawning even though she really didn't seem tired.

"I didn't know anybody else was up at this hour," she said.

Alyssa lightly clenched her left fist while blinking her eyes, the headache she woke up with was still present, "I really have to get going"

"You're Alyssa aren't you? The kid who travels with Jill and Carlos?"

Alyssa suddenly broke her stride and slowly turned to face Camellia, "Why are you so interested in what they do, let alone me?"

"Just curious hon that's all, I've been hearing things about what Jill and Carlos do for quite a while"

"It's their job to tell the world what's been hidden from them but it's not a joy ride there are people out there who want them dead so they can't tell anymore secrets, it's a risky job but I guess someone has to do it"

Camellia only smiled as she leaned against the side of her SUV while folding her arms, "So that Cool-Aid character, he's one of the good guys too?"

Hearing the name mentioned made Alyssa smile lightly, after Nathaniel had found out the convoy had another passenger his first decision was to leave Cool Aid back at the farmhouse. Cool Aid however proved his usefulness in fixing the failing Internet connection in Camellia's SUV and the wires for some of the comm. links in the vehicles. Despite all the repairs he did Cool Aid wasn't even given thanks for his efforts by Nathaniel who apparently had muttered something about the amount of Americans they'd met out in the desert. To make matters worse Cool Aid was shoved in the already tight confines of the armoured bus next to a snoring man who would kick and scream at night.

Cool Aid gratefully accepted the accommodation and only shrugged while climbing aboard, "Heck it's better then the crap shack I used to call home"

Glancing up towards Camellia, Alyssa nodded, "Sort of, in an annoying way, most of the time I don't understand what he's saying"

"What about you then? Surely you're with the group for a reason, not to pry or anything"

"I'm just here" Alyssa replied curtly as she began to turn away from Camellia.

"You know hon people have their secrets, if you weren't so guarded about them and tell a few then you may get them figured out" Camellia called out to Alyssa as she walked off.

Although Alyssa had heard what Camellia had said she had no intention of telling any member of the convoy her secrets. _The sooner we leave this convoy the better; I can't keep up this act for long_.


	14. First sighting

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

High above in the cold outer regions of space a large satellite slowly orbited the earth. Inside was a mass of wires and microchips designed to keep the satellite in check and also to monitor those under its gaze. From the moment that Alice had sped off from Sphere 1 on her black Harley to the ambush at the farmhouse had happened the sleepless satellite sentinel had watched, reported and sent images to the computer system it was connected to down below the sands of the desert. The black and white images, although grainy, were clear enough to show what was happening during the confrontations.

Being fed up with the constant interruptions Griffin had decided to take over the monitoring of both Alyssa and Alice by himself. He knew for a fact that tracking Alyssa was difficult due to her signal giving off a general location but if something else that had a slightly stronger implant were to follow her…

The satellites had already locked onto Alice when she left the labs and in a matter of hours she had located Alyssa. Griffin had been able to change the trajectories of the satellite so that it provided a clear view for the events that were about to unfold. However seeing how fast his 'bodyguard' had located Alyssa made him smile, Alice seemed to have an unnatural sixth sense when it came to finding the girl no matter how far away she was. _Just remember the orders and not to over step them_ Griffin thought as he flicked through the various photos the satellite had taken.

The majority of pictures that flashed up onto the screen were of a long line of armoured vehicles that had stopped near a decaying farmhouse. At first Griffin had assumed that there was either a malfunction in the satellites or that Alice wanted some target practice before moving on. It all changed however when a group of clawed virus carriers had leapt from all angles and began savagely attacking the convoy.

Seeing the creatures at first confused Griffin, they were definitely virus carriers due to their mutations and actions but none like he'd ever seen. He had heard a while back the Sphere complexes had developed a group of infected carriers that been gifted with some intelligence and super strength. But according to the records they were destroyed due to being too unpredictable and having an aggressive personality towards their handlers. It seemed however that perhaps one specimen had survived and escaped into the desert, creating more of it's own kind with the virus it carried.

The next photo was different to the rest, now it depicted Alyssa leaping into a large group of clawed creatures and slowly taking them out. The expression on the girl's face was one of hatred and frustration; she seemed to delight in killing any of the virus carriers that happened to step in her line of fire. Despite the poor quality of the picture Griffin knew it was Alyssa, she had shown up after weeks of searching and she apparently hadn't lost that rebellious aggressive attitude either.

_I've found you again and now the time has come for you to return to me_.

Getting up out of his chair Griffin crossed the large expanse of the empty lab and through the steel doors. As he strode down the corridor Griffin thought about how Alyssa had avoided being tracked by the satellite for all those weeks after her escape. _She knew about it yet at the same time wasn't aware of it's position and managed to stay well hidden, such a clever girl but her time's almost up_.

At the end of the lit steel hallway were two large doors, which hissed, open like a spaceship air lock when Griffin approached them. The inside of the room was an observation deck complete with large screens and silver plated consoles, which featured various blinking lights. Each of the Sphere complexes had a similar room but they had been refurbished to hold board meetings instead. Only S-4 had been kept intact for use as an observatory for the various satellites and implant test subjects.

Upon entering the room Griffin didn't even wait for the three figures dressed in lab coats to acknowledge him, he only started to bark out orders like a drill sergeant, "I want the Winterstone girl's implant to be brought up online and into our command system, start activating the basic orders and begin to lead her back to us"

A woman with dark skin slowly turned in her chair, "We have no idea where Alyssa Winterstone is, once the implant is brought online there could be a chance of unnecessary side effects with the girl"

Griffin gestured towards another screen, which showed a red dot moving across the desert region, "Is it possible to get a visual on the current position of Project Alice?"

The woman turned back and typed in a few commands on her console and nodded, "It is possible, why do you ask sir?"

Hearing this Griffin smiled, "Because thanks to our little hand held camera out there tracking Specimen 8940 has just gotten easier, use the trail that is being generated by Project Alice and you'll find Alyssa soon enough"

A voice from across the other side of the room made Griffin turn shift in the direction it came from and immediately regretted doing so.

Henry was one of the figures sitting in the chair busy monitoring the satellite's path. He had been given the meaningless task for two reasons: to stay out of Griffin's hair and also to avoid becoming another unfortunate victim of the enraged Alice. It had completely slipped Griffin's mind that Henry was one of the 'observers' that had been posted in the room and he had obviously been listening to the conversation so far and wanted to put his own two cents in.

"Are you aware of the risks involved by allowing the implant to go online, what about the part that commands the optical nerve? The specimen could end up blind because it was never tested under controlled conditions, if you put too much stress on the subject you'll end up killing the original and all the research here will be lost" Henry spluttered.

"All the more reason to activate the implant now while we still have the chance, we may never have this opportunity again and besides the last time such an action was preformed on another subject they were outside a facility so don't trouble yourself Henry just focus on what you're doing before that position changes to something else, don't think I won't place you in a more despicable job"

Henry only bowed his head as he turned away from Griffin and back towards the screen he was sitting in front of, his frowning face lit up by the bright monitor.

The last figure sitting in the low backed leather chairs swung around to face Griffin, he was the same boyish faced lab tech that had interrupted an autopsy before, "We have visual on not only Project Alice but also what appears to be a convoy that she is following at a distance"

Glancing at large main screen Griffin saw that the long line of vehicles had stopped. People were walking around putting up small shade covers to protect themselves from the heat while children weaved in and out of the large vehicles. Although he could see no sign of Alyssa, Griffin knew that somewhere amongst the busy adults and playful children the girl was hiding, no doubt trying to get away from the spying eye of the satellite.

Turning towards the dark skinned woman Griffin nodded, "Start it up"

* * *

Even before her escape from the Bluewater Umbrella labs Alyssa had been continually fighting for not only her free will but also to keep human. It had almost been a year and a half since Nemesis and herself had managed to break out from the hidden compound and into the real world. But deep down inside Alyssa knew the real battle had just started and only recently had another aspect of control over her had arisen and she was about to find out the high risks her freedom generated. She had just finished checking on Nemesis and Deception when it happened. At first the feeling that came over Alyssa felt similar to the type of verbal control Griffin had, had over her while at the Glasshouse Mountains only this time was different.

As Alyssa stared out across the sun baked desert she began to feel cold, despite the heat of the midday sun, as pain sliced through her head. The worst part was about to follow. Her vision began to slowly change, no longer did she see colours anymore, the only 'colour' that could be picked up was a light shade of blue. To the left side of Alyssa's vision she first saw a string of numbers that ran down in a continuous stream, this was then followed by words too fast for her to read.

During the strange vision change and the scrolling numbers the headache and coldness intensified to the point where Alyssa felt her legs give way as she collapsed into the hot sand. A picture flashed up briefly in front of her eyes, it appeared to be some kind of computer imaged map that pointed to four circles deep below the earth, one of which became larger and began to flash as though it was beckoning to be found.

Between the bouts of pain Alyssa was feeling she suddenly had the urge to get up and begin looking for the locations that had been shown to her, the large blinking one of particular interest. Already she could feel her body struggling to get up from the sand, her eyes focusing in the distance unable to look elsewhere. _My eyes…what the hell is wrong with them?_ Alyssa thought as she cringed from the pain slicing through her skull _it's like I can't…_

She suddenly stopped her stiff walk and visibly shivered, Alyssa knew very well what was going on. The Umbrella satellite had locked onto her and now was using her eyes like someone would use a camera to peer through and find things. _They're trying to use me to locate Jill and Carlos!_ Alyssa tried to turn around to call out to someone but found she couldn't, nor could she control her eyes with its blue vision and scrolling number strip. _I have to break this link, whatever it is; I refuse to be a brainless puppet_.

Feeling something drop onto her right hand Alyssa's vision temporarily allowed her control to peer downwards. Through her blue tinted vision and throbbing headache she saw dark liquid on her hand, which was no doubt her own blood. Her vision began to blur as the pain and cold feeling became nothing more then a dull sensation. Gritting her teeth Alyssa forced herself to turn away from the desert and back towards the convoy. Her legs were at first reluctant to respond and became rooted to the ground as though she was wearing lead shoes. As more blood began to drip from an unseen wound Alyssa managed to take the first steps under her own command. For a brief moment her vision returned back to normal and she could see a few colours such as the red sand and a yellow shade cloth nearby. Soon however it returned to the light blue and the map flashed forward again.

The initial struggle with the implant's commands had only allowed Alyssa to get within a few feet of the armoured truck. She could almost reach out and touch the hot side of the vehicle but there were still a few more metres between them. Now the sudden urge to turn and run into the desert was stronger, Alyssa knew that she was being called back to one of the Spheres most likely under the command of Griffin. What Griffin didn't take into account was that Alyssa had a stronger mind then he once thought.

Despite being bombarded by the pain, coldness and involuntary movements Alyssa was still able to concentrate. Clenching her fists Alyssa visualised herself taking a step forward. After a few tense minutes her left leg slowly moved and her right foot followed. She slowly turned herself away from the expanses of the desert and towards the convoy, her friends and humanity. Her vision now became jumbled as it switched every few minutes from being blue back to normal. Shaking her head Alyssa continued forward, she knew that if she lost concentration then Umbrella would take control of her again and she wasn't going to give in so easily.

Stumbling past the armoured truck Alyssa could faintly make out the figure of Jill standing in the distance, she had her back turned while talking to another member of the convoy.

As another droplet of blood fell it splashed down onto Alyssa's arm causing her to rub her eye absentmindedly. When she took her hand away it was covered in blood, or depending on the shattered blue tinted vision it was all black. Still keeping her focus Alyssa tried to call out to Jill but could only make a small cry, which was abruptly silenced as she closed her mouth and slowly backed away from the pair.

Stiffening her entire body Alyssa stood still as the urge to leave gradually past. Her vision was still blue but her eyes were moving of their own accord, they slowly panned over the talking pair then up and down the convoy. Alyssa wanted to turn around in an effort to deter her vision from being used as a security camera but she knew very well if that were to happen then she'd be back to where she started, struggling to leave the convoy. _They know I won't leave but it doesn't stop them from still using me_ Alyssa thought frantically.

The person Jill was talking to, who turned out to be Cool Aid, pointed down towards Alyssa, which caused Jill to slowly turn around to see her. Jill then began to stride forward when sighting Alyssa, concern and horror clouding her face; no doubt she'd seen the blood tears dripping down onto the sand. Cool Aid only stood back disturbed by what he saw, his eyes large and filled with fright.

Seeing Jill coming towards her Alyssa's left arm began to slowly rise as though she was getting ready to either push Jill aside… or worse. Her blue vision suddenly zoomed in on Jill's face much like a camera would before quickly returning to normal. Alyssa desperately fought for control over her actions, no longer was it just her eyes that were being controlled, it was her entire body. From inside she felt as though she could cry, Jill would never see it coming if a sudden blow came. _I won't do that; I'm not a killer!_ Alyssa thought as Jill came closer.

The searing pain and coldness then suddenly vanished and her vision returned to normal. At the same time Alyssa felt light-headed as though she was falling rapidly. By now her vision had returned to normal and as she stared back at Jill her rubbery legs gave way as she collapsed into the hot sand and her vision faded to black.

* * *

Ever since sighting Alyssa leaving with the convoy Alice had followed behind the line of armoured vehicles as they sped over the dusty landscape. Due to the loud motor of her Harley it caused Alice to follow at an even greater distance so as not to attract too much attention. Not that anyone had noticed her yet, with the exception of a pair of rough looking men and Alyssa the alarm had not been raised in the convoy that someone was tailing them.

The convoy had been travelling across the bright landscape for sometime now, it appeared that the leader of the group had decided to drive long into the night after the incident at the farmhouse. However the drivers of the other trucks were human and needed to rest so the line of armoured vehicles had come to a dead stop in the hours of a dying morning.

Alice had also broken her pursuit with the convoy after sighting the tops of the vehicles. Although she didn't agree with what Griffin had said about not being seen by anyone being noticed by a dozen dirty-faced sweaty people would in many ways cause a mass panic with aggressive retaliation. _Not only that but their weak attempts at trying to lose me would only be amusing for a short while_ Alice thought as she watched the actions of the convoy. She had chosen to hide behind one of the many sand dunes in the desert, it was a perfect vantage point to not only become familiar with the convoy but also to track the target that was with them.

The muscled man with the shotgun came into view; he was walking around the long line of vehicles inspecting them. Behind him several others followed, mostly children and a few adults. One of the adults, a woman wearing a tank top gently pushed the children aside before walking up and talking to the man. A few moments later the man nodded and the woman turned and strode off. It was quite obvious that the man with the shotgun was the leader, twice Alice had seen him giving orders to other members of the convoy and no one appeared to disagree. _He also drives the lead truck but I don't really care, where is that lab brat?_ She thought in frustration.

Ever since seeing Alyssa near the farmhouse the girl had not made another appearance. Although the convoy had driven through the night Alice had not been able to sense Alyssa for all that time. It seemed that while with the convoy Alyssa was proving to be extremely difficult to track, she was somewhere down below midst the screaming laughing children and serious adults but the girl's current location was unknown. _Those rebels are clever I'll give them that; by travelling with a large group they have less of a chance of standing out, but as for Alyssa…_

Her thoughts were shattered when a pair of armed men began to approach the sand dunes not too far away from the convoy. Both of the men were dressed in long sleeved shirts and dirty jeans, each had a handgun in a hip holster, only the tallest out of the pair had an akubra on yet both were busy combing the landscape, no doubt looking for any threats. Giving the two men a wide arc Alice easily slipped by them, which brought her closer to the convoy. The majority of people had moved up towards the front and had created a large area with various shade clothes and tents held up by metal poles. Nearby on the edges of the convoy the shotgun man stood, one hand holding a wiggling little girl by his side and the other with a hand held radio.

Pressing the button on the side the man spoke into it, "Snake, Taser, do you see anything?"

"Nothing in the nearest dunes but sand and more sand, you want us to keep looking at the others near by Nathaniel?" a voice came back on the radio.

Backing away from the man and his daughter Alice smiled, she didn't listen in on the rest of the conversation; the leader of the convoy now had a name. _I look forward to meeting up with you Nathaniel_ Alice thought as she walked back to the dunes. She suddenly had a wild idea to convince the leader to give her Alyssa, he had after all been angry and disturbed by what the girl was capable of he could be easily steered towards surrendering Alyssa over. _Or perhaps Nathaniel could be used for other reasons, he's strong, a worthy target worth tracking_.

By now both the two men called Snake and Taser had moved back to the convoy and Alice resumed her continual observation. So far Griffin had not bothered her with reminders about what the current objectives were which pointed to two things: Either he was busy watching the Alyssa clones die or everything in the set mission had been followed through to his standards. Turning back towards the convoy Alice saw Carlos run around the back of a red SUV, his assault rifle slightly raised. At the same time of seeing Carlos's mad dash Alice suddenly picked up Alyssa's presence. The girl was close by but at the same time she was in pain, her heart beat was slowly rising as though she'd been running as did the constant waves of agony that were coursing through her body. Before Alice could even begin to think what was happening she too was affected by pain, a high pitch ringing tone that was different to the one Griffin used to control her, sliced through her brain.

Crying out in pain Alice fell into the sand hard while clutching her head, she momentarily glanced up towards the sky confused as to why this was happening. _It must be an error in the tracking…argh!_ Again the waves of agony came, it felt as though her head was about to explode. After a few moments however the pain abruptly ceased which allowed Alice to get into a sitting position. Taking both the handguns and Uzis from their holsters she threw them into the sand in frustration while still rubbing her forehead. Something had gone wrong with the satellites or even with the computers that controlled them. The ringing sensation perhaps had links back to Alyssa, somehow her 'conditioning' had crossed over not only affecting her but also Alice. _That lab brat will pay for what she did_ Alice thought as she slowly rose. _I think it's time I paid her a visit seeming, as the convoy looks like it'll be here for some time_.

When walking towards the discarded weapons Alice picked up both the handguns and slid them back into the holsters that were on her sides. As she went to retrieve the Uzis her right hand briefly twitched before going still again. Placing her other hand on the shaking right one Alice sighed, she knew the spasms, whatever they were had gotten worse but for the moment she had no choice but to ignore them.

Picking up both weapons Alice slid them into their holsters before walking back towards her Harley. She had plans for the approaching night and wanted them to follow through without interruption.


	15. Questions, so many questions

_Another round of chapters sees the plot thicken as the gang journey deeper into the desert, pay close attention to the scene between Jill and Carlos and see what I'm trying to refer to as I do use the movie universe in my writings _

**

* * *

****Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Cool Aid had already gotten antsy the moment the convoy had stopped; he had seen enough violence back at the farmhouse to last him a lifetime. The way that Alyssa had cut down those zombie creatures defied everything he'd ever seen on and off TV. Not that he'd seen the girl do any of this, he was too busy hiding behind a large truck, a few of the teens that had were still talking about it and Cool Aid had over heard them. When trying to ask for more details the small group only looked him up and down before asking in a low voice if he had anything to smoke. 

The majority of people were still affected by the attack of the creatures, now dubbed Hyper Sapiens. A few had been taken by the zombies, one of which was a sweet old lady called Mrs Denver, they were all buried back at the farmhouse in unmarked graves. Cool Aid had been nervous about hitching up with the convoy even if a few friends were riding with the group too, he hated sitting in the cramped hot bus with crying babies, grumbling elderly people and hyperactive children, so when it finally stopped he was the first off the bus.

Running into Jill, Cool Aid was attempting to tell her that sooner or later he'd have over stayed his welcome and was starting to make plans to leave when he saw Alyssa stumble out from behind a red SUV, dark liquid streaming from her eyes making the girl look like as though she'd wrongly applied mascara and it was now starting to run.

"What the hell's wrong with your girl Jill?" Cool Aid asked pointing. "Looks like she's sick or something?"

Jill turned to where Cool Aid was pointing to see a sight she'd never forget. Alyssa was stiffly walking forward, her eyes blinking as blood began to drip in long red tears down her face. Her immediate instincts were to rush forward and help the girl but Jill knew that precautions had to be taken, Alyssa's blood was infectious if some of it were to get into her bloodstream then it would all be over. However when seeing that there was more to Alyssa's sudden appearance then met the eye Jill carefully approached her. It seemed that Alyssa was struggling with some unseen force, which prevented her from moving forward. As Jill came towards the girl, Alyssa suddenly took several steps back, her left hand curling into a tight fist. Seeing Alyssa's actions first confused Jill but when staring back into her eyes, which were darting all over the place, she froze. _The implant_ she suddenly thought _Alyssa's trying to fight against it but it looks like she's losing_. When Alyssa's eyes focused on Jill she only seemed to stare back, her face a mask of suffering and sadness but at the same time it was an expression Jill was very familiar with, the emotionless glare of a murderer.

There was another time in a different desert when someone who Jill thought was an ally suddenly snapped and because of such an act killed two members of her group. As Jill got closer her fears were confirmed, despite Alyssa struggling against not only her legs which were causing her to back away but her arm as well, she could just make out a faint familiar symbol that was imprinted in the girl's eyes, the octagon shape that Umbrella had used to define their company. _That sign_ _it's in her eyes, how can that be?_ Jill thought fearfully. Then again the sadistic murderer of the past had the same symbol flash also across their eyes, Jill had been close enough to see it only briefly before all hell broke loose.

Keeping one eye on the struggling Alyssa, Jill turned towards Cool Aid who was only watching on in fear, "Cool Aid, see if you can find Carlos, hurry!"

Cool Aid only nodded and ran off down the line of trucks, Jill's words appearing to break the spell he was under. Turning back towards Alyssa, Jill noticed that the symbol had now disappeared from her eyes and as she took a few steps forward on shaky legs finally crumpled into the sand. Carefully edging forward Jill knelt down beside the now rapidly breathing Alyssa and checked her pulse, it was as fast as her breathing, irregular and laboured. Hearing footsteps from behind Jill turned from her position to see Carlos standing over her out of breath and sweating, his rifle tightly clutched in his hands.

"She just collapsed, I don't think that Alyssa will be coming around any time soon" Jill replied as she slowly got up.

"What happened to her? Was it the heat?" Carlos asked as he eyed the unconscious Alyssa.

Glancing up towards the sky Jill shook her head, "I have a feeling it's more then that" she then lowered her voice. "Alyssa's eyes were bleeding, she looked like as though she was crying blood tears and the way that she was walking it was like a…I don't really know, like a puppet on a string I guess"

As Carlos bent downwards to inspect Jill stopped him, "Just be careful, there's a lot of blood on her face"

Pulling the rolled up sleeves down his arms Carlos shrugged, "I know standard procedure"

Once Alyssa was off the ground Jill quickly took a moment to clean away the drying blood from the girl's eyes with a hankie, careful to not allow the bloodstained fabric to touch her hands. In the distance Nathaniel began to make his way towards the group he too had obviously been alerted to what had just happened.

"What do we say to him?" Carlos asked as he watched Nathaniel get closer.

"Just let me handle it" Jill replied.

When nearing the group Nathaniel first glanced towards Alyssa who was being held by Carlos before speaking, "Another victim of heatstroke huh?"

Hearing this Jill only nodded, "One of the dangers of travelling through the desert isn't it?"

"Heatstroke is the least of your dangers when going through the desert, it's mild compared to a pack of bloodthirsty bikers who have their eyes set on your supplies. We've only been here for a few hours and already two young kids have collapsed due to heatstroke and your Alyssa makes it number three, word of advice on handling someone affected by it, don't force 'em to drink water they have to choose to do so otherwise you're in all sorts of trouble" Nathaniel pointed out as he began to walk off. Taking a few more steps he then half turned back towards Jill. "One more thing, we're staying the night so make sure that truck of yours is locked after sun down unless you want a group of children turning it into a playground, just be prepared to move out as soon as the sun rises that way we cover more ground"

After Nathaniel left Carlos shook his head, "If only he knew it wasn't heat stoke"

"I feel bad having to lie to him all the time but I don't think it's wise to tell Nathaniel the truth, he may not handle it well or think we're crazy and that's something we really don't need now" Jill said. "Besides if someone told you that they had not only two genetically modified monsters as travel buddies but also a secret organisation's most powerful bio weapon with them would you believe it?"

"I guess not but then again a few years ago I never thought it would be like this, in many ways grumpy old Chris was right, Umbrella's work just keeps following us around even though we destroy it"

When noticing that Jill had fallen silent Carlos stopped and turned towards her, "You're thinking about something big aren't you?"

Jill only continued forward and opened the door to the armoured truck; Carlos then placed Alyssa inside and after winding down the window shut the door. He then turned back to Jill who was now leaning against the side of the truck, apparently in deep thought. Before Carlos could even ask Jill what was wrong she spoke anyway.

"It's just with all that's happened…" she looked up towards Carlos. "If the time came would you do it?"

Hearing this confused Carlos and he frowned, "Do what?"

"If I became infected with the virus would you pull the trigger?"

"Why are you even asking this?"

Jill sighed and glanced up towards Carlos, "I just want to know ok?"

Stepping forward Carlos then leaned on the side of the truck, flinching slightly to the dull heat it gave off, "I don't know, I guess I'd have no choice in the matter, if it was to save others then I suppose…"

"You just don't think when it comes to strangers" Jill cut in. "I mean in a way we put them out of their misery but if it came to someone you cared about who got infected…"

Beside her Carlos moved forward and took her right hand in his. As Jill looked up towards him, he smiled and she did the same.

"If it would put your mind at ease Jill I would, but that won't happen because I'll always have your back so you don't have to worry" Carlos said softly.

"You wouldn't try and infect yourself too so we'd both die together?"

Carlos then moved closer towards Jill closing the gap between them, his eyes never leaving hers, "I'd make sure you'd never get infected in the first place, we've been through a lot together and have experience in dealing with the virus I… I saved you once but I was so close to losing you"

Jill nodded, "So did you, you were infected once but then you were healed by…" she trailed off as Carlos put his left arm around her shoulders.

"Does it really matter? The point is that we're both here and need to look out for each other, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Jill, you're my strength that keeps me going, gives me a reason to continue with what we do and I know that it might seem really corny but I think you should know that deep down inside I…"

A voice from not too far away broke the moment forcing the pair to turn towards it.

"Aww hell no not in front of the kiddies dog" Cool Aid was standing a few feet away from Jill and Carlos, grinning from ear to ear.

Carlos suddenly removed his arm from Jill's shoulders as she stepped aside in an attempt to look casual.

Watching the pair Cool Aid kept his grin, "I wasn't interrupting you two now was I?"

"I thought you were busy hiding from Nathaniel and the kids?" Jill asked. She knew that Nathaniel couldn't stand the wise cracks and street talk Cool Aid was known for but the only problem was that the hacker generated an unnatural aura for the children of the convoy, including Kirsty. They would continually follow him around mimicking his walk and actions.

Cool Aid shrugged, "Nah it's cool I just walk the other way when I see Nathaniel coming and the kids are starting to grow on me" as he turned to walk off Cool Aid quickly flashed Carlos a grin and winked, "Go all the way dog you look like you was at second base"

A few other passengers of the convoy passed the pair on their way up towards the coloured tents at the front.

"Looks like a gathering" Carlos said as he watched several others walk past them.

Jill only nodded despite being in a slight daze, "Yeah, I think we better check it out just in case Nathaniel has something important to say"

Carlos only started to walk forward; it was clear that before the interruption he wanted to say something but now had lost the train of thought.

Seeing Carlos the way he was Jill could only feel the same. _One day I will_ she thought as she strode behind Carlos _hopefully it won't be too late to say so_.

* * *

As the implant for Alyssa slowly came online Griffin held his breath, by allowing full activation the more advanced commands would follow. Up until the point where the implant was not fully initialised there was only so far he could go via commands with the girl. It was only the vocalised command system that had been activated during Alyssa's stay at the Glasshouse Mountains facility and it had yielded promising results. Now as the hidden implant slowly came to life Griffin waited with baited breath, it could be a failure or a success depending on the girl's will to live. 

There didn't seem to be any doubts concerning if the girl lived or died as the implant gradually gained control over her body. Griffin knew that Alyssa's fiery spirit and hate towards him would make the first camera view quite entertaining. The plan regarding Alyssa was quite simple, if she could be led back to S-1 via the programmed commands the implant already had, then the experiment could be cut short and further restrictions that would prevent the girl from ever leaving the facility would be put into play. However there still was the off chance that despite having a direct command being broadcasted into her brain Alyssa would still refuse to follow through with it.

The dark skinned woman spun around in her chair to face Griffin, "The implant is now fully online do you want to initialise the leader program?"

Griffin took a step forward and gestured towards the second largest screen in the room, "Start with the optical view I want to see what she sees"

"Bringing up main view in thirty seconds" the woman replied as she tapped her keyboard.

A few moments later the large screen flickered to life showing a blue tinged view of a desert landscape. Seeing this Griffin smiled, the 'Alyssa cam' was an aspect he had taken from previous subjects allowing whoever was watching the screen to see through the victim's eyes most of the time without their knowledge. The 'eye hack' as many of the other researchers had called it allowed whoever was in charge of them to monitor and keep track of the subject should they fall behind in their mission. It also prevented any misunderstandings or mistakes later on that could easily be covered up by an unsupervised agent out in the field. _Now I can keep my eye on you Alyssa_ Griffin thought as he stared back at the screen _you will help me locate the rebels whether you want to or not_.

Still mesmerized by the screen Griffin quickly glanced at Alyssa's vitals, which was on a separate screen before speaking, "Begin leading her back here carefully make sure you follow through each of the steps slowly we can't afford to lose the specimen"

Someone suddenly approached Griffin from his left side but he didn't even need to turn to know who it was, "What is it now Henry, I hope you aren't having any difficulties with the task I gave you?"

"You're going too far with the girl, by bringing the leader program up it gives our position away!" Henry gasped. "How do you know that the rebels won't follow after Alyssa? They seem to be very protective of her"

Griffin simply turned to glare back at Henry causing the older scientist to take a few steps back, "That will not happen so I suggest you keep quiet about it, if there is any interference with Alyssa's leaving she'll take care of the criminals herself, once the path has been programmed there is very little that can deter the subject from following it, previous specimens have returned with minimal damage so if I were you Henry I would return back to my station otherwise you might have the potential of being demoted to a job less to your liking"

Henry only lowered his head and slunk away from the glowering Griffin and returned to his part of the long steel desk, which was up against the cement wall of the room.

The woman suddenly called out to Griffin and as he approached the screen that showed Alyssa's point of view he could see why. Not only was the girl struggling to turn away from the open desert but also her vision appeared to be clouded by a dark substance. Looking towards the vitals Griffin noticed they too had changed dramatically in the seconds that the implant had been fully activated. The girl's heartbeat and breathing was becoming faster with each ever-passing minute as the view began to wobble around as though she was intoxicated.

"What's wrong with her?" Griffin asked as he peered over the woman's shoulder.

"It only happened a few moments ago but it seems she's resisting the leader program and any commands, it's putting too much stress on the system and I think that's the reason why her eyes are bleeding"

"Boost the signal, make Alyssa follow the orders through"

The woman shook her head, "I'm afraid that if the signal is put any higher it would cause an aneurism in the girl's brain resulting in her death"

Griffin only stared at the screen in disbelief, a few seconds ago everything was running smoothly, Alyssa was following the orders that she'd been given and was gradually coming back to him and now…

"That's impossible how can she resist a programmed order? Such a strong mind, so much power" Griffin said softly and to no one in particular. Staring back at the main screen he could only watch as one of the female rebels, a rogue police officer named Jill Valentine, rush forward to assist the girl. It was too risky to have Alyssa dispose of the woman in front of other witnesses so he was forced to make a very painful discission.

"Disengage the camera view, the subject has to be kept alive" Griffin replied in a tone of disappointment.

The blue tinged screen suddenly shut off, as did the rest of the system that had been connected to Alyssa. Seeing this only made Griffin sigh and step away, he had been so close to leading the girl back to where he was stationed with minimal fuss. _Her mind is stronger then I first thought I'll have to remember that for next time_.

The scientist with the boyish face suddenly turned towards Griffin, concern clouding his features, "I think there's something you should see here sir"

Despite the fact that Griffin felt like as though he was nothing more then a pull toy between the various researchers in the room he nevertheless approached the pair of male scientists who were also staring into a blue tinged screen. This view however first switched from sand then began to bob up and down as a black Harley slowly became visible. When seeing the images on screen it made Griffin suddenly remember the other 'camera' that was out in the desert. It had almost slipped his mind that Alice had been following the convoy which was sheltering Alyssa and the rebels, the screen however seemed to have the same effect that Alyssa had being that it was out of focus and wobbly.

"When the signal from the satellite was boosted it affected Project Alice as well" the scientist replied. "There's no permanent damage to the subject but she is a little shaken up by the experience"

Peering at the screen which appeared to be slowly swaying from side to side he smiled cruelly, "Both subjects are connected to the same monitoring satellite but this makes things interesting" He then gestured towards the large screen, "Deactivate the optical camera but continue to monitor Alice, don't let her slip from your view I want all systems fixed on her for the rest of the night, she's very close to civilians and I don't want any mishaps while I'm gone"

The boy faced scientist nodded and began the procedure of shutting down the 'eye hack' Griffin only stood back and watched, although he hated having his research team be in charge of Project Alice there really wasn't much of a choice. Trent had after all left him in charge of all four Spheres so his presence could only be limited to one Sphere for a short amount of time. Griffin did however draw the line at any medical procedures that needed to be done to Alice such as updating the implant or fixing wounds that were slow to heal themselves. He had been the original designer of the implant that went into the subject so it was only fair that if the time came to make alterations then it would solely be his responsibility.

Stealing a quick glance down towards his watch Griffin then approached Henry at the other side of the room, "Before I leave Henry prepare another clone, try Batch D they seemed promising"

Henry only turned in his chair and blinked at Griffin for a few moments as though he'd lost his trail of thought, he then shook his head before speaking, "I assumed that you were leaving after the implant in the original Alyssa was activated"

"Change of plans, we still don't possess the original and I have plenty of time to observe one more test before leaving" Griffin replied as he turned away from Henry.

At first it seemed that Henry was reluctant to leave the room, it meant giving up the all too easy job of being an 'observer' but after a few minutes the chair he was sitting on squeaked as he rose and began to follow behind Griffin. Henry's reluctance to leave extended beyond just leaving a simple yet mind numbing position and Griffin knew all too well why the scientist dreaded in participating in another test. One of the very first clones that had been cut down by an Impacter, a type of the robot in the facility that was also used for actual security for the upper levels, had on all accounts appeared dead from the camera's view. As Henry and a few other bio suited lab techs came forward to collect the body the girl had suddenly jumped up, knocking several of the shocked members of the group aside before running towards the hallway normally hidden for the test. Although the clone didn't get too far having been cut down by one of facilities security squads Henry had come close to suffering a lethal infection. As the clone leapt up blood from one of their wounds had splattered onto his clothes and arms.

Although the infection wasn't lethal Henry still had no choice but to sit through a series of anti virus injections and disinfectant procedures on the notion that he actually had contracted the virus. From that moment on Henry either wore a bio suit when inspecting the bodies of victims or chose to follow behind Griffin when the test was complete. It had been forever imprinted in his mind how close he'd come to being infected, not that Griffin seemed to care if that would ever happen.

Ignoring Henry's first hesitation Griffin opened the door to the observation room and began to walk down the short steel hallway that connected the room to the main facility. His thoughts were only on one thing and that was the results from the first optical camera view, although slightly disappointing it had proved beneficial; such glitches could be easily corrected.

Still keeping his cruel smile Griffin continued down the sterile steel corridor with Henry following, wheezing, behind him.

* * *

_That's probably it for a while guys as my university course starts next week, hopefully I'll have the whole novel edited by then but you can always drop me a line either here or on my official page, details on my profile here to find it_


	16. A deadly encounter

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

Once again when Alyssa awoke only darkness and silence greeted her. She slowly sat up in the stiff foam seating of the truck and stared out of the misty windscreen. Dull lights in the far distance could just be made out while shapeless forms moved through the darkened shadows of the desert outside. For a while Alyssa sat and watched them as her mind gradually remembered the events of the past day. Simply thinking about her eyes and body being taken over by an invisible force was enough for Alyssa to put a hand to one of her eyes. _The urge to follow…I was so close to killing Jill and running away_ Alyssa thought as she rubbed her eyes. She could faintly remember crying blood tears but all evidence of their presence had long since vanished. _To think I really did want to run away before we left for this trip but now…_ Her thoughts trailed off; there was a possibility that the option to run away was still open especially since the recent attack and sighting a dangerous person.

Something suddenly tapped on the mesh window behind the seats causing Alyssa to turn around and face the noise. Although the inside of the truck was dark she could easily see that the mysterious tapper was none other then Nemesis who was peering through the tiny opening. Seeing the monster Alyssa smiled, she had completely forgotten that both Nemesis and Deception were sitting in the cramped back of the truck. The green eyes that stared back at her were filled with worry and concern, no doubt Nemesis had either heard or sensed the events that had unfolded recently.

"I bet you two are tired of sitting in there huh?" Alyssa asked Nemesis.

The monster only growled and lowered his gaze while a little further in the back ground something scraped the sides. It appeared that both creatures were more worried about Alyssa then being allowed to roam free.

Alyssa only shook her head and sighed as she turned the handle for the door, "I'm fine ok they didn't get me so stop worrying"

Though as she lowered herself down from the truck Alyssa also had doubts, the brief yet painful 'eye hack' was only a starting point in controlling her. A short test to perhaps show Alyssa who really was in charge of her and that she'd always be watched by an eye in the sky and it was only going to get worse.

Turning to stare down the long line of armoured vehicles Alyssa could now clearly see the lights and hear the laughter and music of some of the convoy's passengers, the attack from the Hyper Sapiens seeming to be a thing from the past. As she slowly began to make her way down towards the lights Alyssa observed the various vehicles that made up the convoy.

The majority of the convoy were SUVs such as the bright red one driven by Camellia, which had a tiny satellite dish on its roof. Further downward were two long carrier trucks; one had the strong scent of petrol while the other appeared to be the type to carry other kinds of smaller vehicles such as cars and motorbikes. The dark green fabric that covered the entire back flapped softly in the desert wind. All the vehicles in the convoy had been reinforced with steel along their sides and fuel tanks, evidence to suggest that Nathaniel's route through the wasteland had the possibility of encountering hostile locals.

_Not like those Hyper Sapiens though_ Alyssa thought as she slowed her stride. _No one was ready for that kind of attack, people died because of it_. Deep down inside Alyssa knew there was nothing she could have done to stop the mutant zombies from killing the victims; she had heard that there were three deaths; one was the elderly woman that had been 'revived' by the virus.

So deep in thought was Alyssa that she didn't notice someone approach her. When a whispery voice called out she slowly turned to see an older looking man standing in front of her. He had a medium build with short brown hair, a greasy pimply face and was dressed in a brown shirt and torn jeans. On his arm was a tattoo of an eagle's head while below it was another of a black scorpion.

The man stood a few inches away from Alyssa and eyed her as though she was nothing but a piece of meat, the look in his eyes suggesting his needs extended beyond to simply talk. He only smiled eerily before speaking, "I ain't seen you before, you new to this convoy?"

Alyssa only took a few steps back; she didn't like the way the man was staring at her, "Who's asking?"

"I am and if you're new then you don't know what happens when we pull up for the night"

Looking up towards the man Alyssa attempted to move around him so that she could continue down the line of trucks. As she tried to pass him the man suddenly barred her way and pushed her up against the side of the armoured bus.

"You humiliated my little brother and his friends a few nights ago didn't ya?"

Giving the man a slight glare Alyssa took a few steps forward only to find that the man had an iron grip on her left arm, she made eye contact with him still retaining her icy stare, "Let go"

The man only laughed and pushed Alyssa harder up against the armoured vehicle's side, "That's not how I work dolly why don't we just go inside that bus you're leaning on and I'll show you a good time how about that?" he then tightened his grip on Alyssa's arm and smiled revealing a mouth full of yellowed teeth that carried the scent of cigarettes. "Mocking my brother will be a thing of the past"

Casually glancing down at her arm Alyssa could feel the onset of a headache and looking at the man suddenly had the urge to crush his throat with her free hand. _Please no, not again!_ She wanted to cry out; instead Alyssa could feel her mouth moving and making words as she smiled back towards the man. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" she replied in an emotionless tone.

The man slammed his free hand on the side of the bus as he bared his teeth at Alyssa like a junkyard dog, "You think I'm playing around chickie? The others just give me what I want, don't make me take it to the next level"

Again Alyssa could feel what little control she had over her body's actions slipping away as her right hand formed into a fist. When turning towards the man again all she saw and knew that he was an enemy of her superiors and had to be taken care of. _Just go away before I hurt you!_ Alyssa thought frantically in her head, she wanted to scream the words out but found that anything she decided to do could not be carried out. _Don't make me kill another!_

The man suddenly moved towards her, his face twisted in anger as he reached for her, "You little smart arse bitch, I'll teach you to tangle with me and my brother, it's about time you learnt to show some respect for others"

Alyssa only raised her right hand, no longer a fist, grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him up against the side of the bus as she started to squeeze hard. The man began to choke as he attempted to struggle away but due to the iron hold Alyssa had on him escape was impossible. The man wasn't the only one struggling to gain control, so was Alyssa. Ever since grabbing the man she had been attempting to fight to break free from the invisible hold, faintly however Alyssa found it disturbing that she was actually enjoying listening to the feeble gasping noises the man was making. _I have to…break free…ignore the urges!_

Suddenly the boiling anger within vanished and Alyssa relaxed her grip on the man. As he pulled away from her Alyssa glared back while flexing her right hand, "Get out of here before I change my mind and if I hear that you've been harassing anyone else…" she let her threat hang as the man stumbled away coughing while rubbing his throat.

When the man was out of her sight Alyssa slid down the side of the bus and into the cool sand. While her head still hurt from the recent onset of 'kill switch' urges she had prevented another tragedy from happening. _I almost killed that creep but I managed to stop it_ she thought smiling lightly. Thinking about overriding the commands a second time gave Alyssa hope, in time such urges could be ignored and not carried out. It seemed that Griffin was unaware of just how strong she was yet was determined to gain control but she knew it was going to take more then powerful words to overcome what he'd done to her in the Glasshouse Mountains. As she stared up towards the night sky in a dreamy wonder Alyssa realized how tired she suddenly felt yet at the same time could feel a slight tingling sensation in her head.

Struggling to her feet Alyssa knew quite well what the tingling feeling meant and as she quickly scanned her surroundings the tingle became a high pitch ringing tone that made her flinch away.

A metal tapping on the roof of the bus caused Alyssa to look up towards it to see a shadowy figure seated on top. In the flickering light of the small campfires and weak light bulbs from the convoy the figure's features were at first difficult to make out. But Alyssa didn't need much light to know that it was Alice that was sitting on the roof of the armoured bus. She instinctively moved away as Alice came forward Alyssa knew it was very dangerous if she let her rival disappear from her sight, there were too many innocents in the convoy.

"Nicely done before though I would have finished that selected individual off and hidden the evidence" Alice replied smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Alyssa asked not taking her eyes off Alice. "Are you watching me?"

"Following if you want to get technical Alyssa, you're valuable property and I'm here to make sure you don't get damaged"

Alyssa gestured down the convoy, "I know what you're really here for, to hurt others to make them suffer"

Hearing this Alice only grinned as she leaned back to look towards the sky, "That's an interesting deduction, am I that predicable?"

"Well it's either that or you want a fight which you aren't going to get, I don't know how you found me and I don't really care but I won't allow you to hurt anyone on this convoy" Alyssa said forcefully, she then turned away slightly ignoring the dull ringing in her head.

"It hurts the first time" Alice suddenly replied.

Alyssa could only turn back around to face the smirking face of her rival, "What did you say?"

Alice leaned forward, still keeping her maniacal grin, "When they take you over, it hurts so much you think your head might explode"

Seeing Alyssa's confusion Alice continued, "Are you that afraid that if you accept then you might enjoy yourself? Think about it Alyssa I've been in the same situation before and I was smart enough to make the right choice, those rebels aren't your friends they're only using you because of your abilities"

"You wouldn't know what it's like to have friends that's the reason why I'm still human and not some heartless killer"

"Being human has nothing to do with it and you know that, I risked being seen by others when I came here but it was worth it to see how much you've changed" Alice explained. "My coming here also has another reason but you should be aware of it as well"

Alyssa didn't need to be told why Alice had suddenly materialized from the darkness and she was more then happy to voice her own thoughts about it, "You were under the assumption that I'd willingly go with you?"

"I assume nothing, I only give choices so what will it be, stay or go?"

"You know what my answer already is," Alyssa said as she glared back. "Why don't you just leave this convoy and never look back"

"Have it your way I tried giving you an easy choice but you refused" Alice shrugged. "As for backing off I'm afraid I can't do that, until you understand the consequences of your actions then I'm here to stay. Don't think that little experiment today is over in fact that's only the tip of the iceberg but I'll let you find that out for yourself unless you've changed your mind on leaving this convoy"

Alyssa only retained her glare but the girl's silence only made Alice smile as she began to disappear into the shadows, "Very well Alyssa but remember every action has its consequences, in a way your resistance will make this more enjoyable but don't think I'll ever go away, I'll always be here watching and waiting"

After a few moments Alyssa turned away and rubbed her forehead, the ringing gradually fading no doubt due to it's source moving away out of range. As she glanced down towards the lights she realized that majority of them were slowly disappearing, evidence to suggest that the inhabitants were preparing to turn in for the night. Pushing away from the side of the bus Alyssa sighed, the people of the convoy had no idea how close some of them had come to dying although she wasn't an expert on her rival's abilities Alyssa had seen plenty to suggest that Alice was quite capable of taking out entire groups of un armed people with very little effort. Moving away from the armoured bus a few people passed Alyssa, each giving her the stare of a frightened and confused onlooker before they continued forward towards their own destination.

Despite only being awake for not even a quarter of an hour Alyssa felt tired regardless, the events of both the day and night now taking its toll on her. As she slowly made her way back to the armoured truck she kept her head down not even pausing to glance up towards the sky in case the satellite locked onto her. Reaching the truck Alyssa opened the door and got inside, behind the seats she could faintly make out a soft growl followed by the clicking of claws. Hearing this only made Alyssa smile to herself as she settled into the seats, although she was in a strange place the familiar sounds that she did hear allowed her to slip into a restless sleep only hoping that her dreams did not contain the human monsters that haunted her day and night.


	17. The mysterious Trent on the big screen

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

The results from the recent test had looked promising but ultimately concluded in failure. Poring over the last readout from the clone's vitals Griffin sighed, the remains had been beyond recognition and now resembled red grated cheese above anything else. He had started on a new group of clones from Batch D seeming as it was closer to C and had been created around the same time. The specimen, which was designated D-5 being the fifth in the series had not fared well against an obstacle many researchers had called 'the shredder' The devise was little more then various trip wires that would be trigged by any movement down the hallway. Although not as effective or as clean as the lasers throughout the testing grounds 'the shredder' made quick work of anything soft and fleshy that became caught in its net of invisible wires.

D-5 had been an entertaining subject to watch as she picked her way carefully through the area; she had avoided the single Impacter in one room and disabled a dog carrier. She had easily broken the animal's neck with one fluid kick, an aspect worthy of the original. _More repairs to be carried out_ Griffin thought as he watched the clone take down the dog. The clone however was not quick enough to realize that the nearly invisible wires were slowly forming a tight cage around her until it was too late. Griffin didn't need to see the final result of the death, preferring to leave S-1 and journey to another Sphere, he only had enough time to alert the medical team led by Henry to dispose of the remains before exiting the facility and walking towards the waiting helicopter.

As the 'copter flew over the hot desert landscape Griffin began to think about the various tests and procedures the Alyssa clones had to endure. So far the results pointed towards the discontinuation of the cloning program due all the failures. _There have been close calls however_ he thought gazing out of the window _Batch C for example_. After examining the entire group Griffin had come to the conclusion that C had been so far the closet to the original with the exception of a few flawed DNA strands. Batch C however had been all but destroyed and thinking about such a foolish decision caused Griffin to clench his hands in anger. _I was a fool to think that the entire batch be terminated why didn't I put one specimen aside_. Such an act didn't leave the autopsy room, with a bit of 'convincing' from Alice before she left, the entire research team all had hazy memories of examining the bodies. Griffin knew for a fact that if the committee ever discovered that research into the cloning program had been delayed due to an idiotic choice that nothing could be done to put forth his own termination, times were tough and mistakes could not afford to be made.

As the helicopter slowly descended Griffin could not help but to allow his thoughts to drift back to the original Alyssa. So far the smaller scale experiments with the optical part of the implant in the girl were proving useful in not only gathering data on the subject but also her current position. _Alyssa's out there somewhere being slowly turned into a weapon by the rebels to be used against me_. It was one of the few things that came close to terrifying him, even with the implant's mode of conditioning in place Griffin was still not as in control of Alyssa as he wanted to be. Just the thought of the corporation's most powerful bio-weapon turning on him made Griffin almost shiver, Alyssa was dangerous he'd give her that, she had clearly demonstrated several times just how much of a threat she was when easily taking down some of the corporation's squads and even the second best human viral specimen without breaking a sweat. _Still all of this could easily be corrected if given the right time_ he thought.

Reaching across and opening the door to the helicopter Griffin was instantly hit with a blast of hot desert air. Ignoring the sudden onset of elements he began to quickly stride forward towards the 'abandoned' farm equipment shed. All of the Sphere complexes had been carefully disguised using the various decaying buildings that were scattered throughout the desert. While S-1 was hidden under an almost intact mansion that had begun to sink into the sand, the entrance to S-4 was carefully secreted away under the rusting hulk of what used to be a place to store large farming equipment such as tractors and canecutters. Airspace over all four facilities had been restricted, a carefully concocted plan by the shadowy Umbrella committee that simply pointed towards the random EMP bursts over the area that may cause commercial aircraft to crash. Surprisingly the idea was taken up by the government with little fuss, whether or not forceful negotiations were made during such a discission was unclear.

Walking past the tall rusting electric transformer Griffin could just make out the sniper's nest hidden behind one of the large power outage points. The surface above the Spheres all had strong chain link fences surrounding them complete with barbwire and cameras. The tough fences had been electrified and were designed to keep out anyone curious enough to ignore the orders from the hidden gunman even though in many of the higher ranking members of the committee such an act was a waste of time due to the electrical current eating up too much power which also had to support the facility. Despite this the fences remained at their highest voltage and those that had given a 'suggestion' were abruptly silenced. However in the past few months a new breed of creatures dubbed the Infected had begun to arrive in large numbers. The Infected carried not only the T-virus in their blood but they also suffered radiation poisoning.

What made the Infected such an interest to Umbrella but at the same time a threat was the fact that they still retained human intelligence and worked as a group, unlike normal virus carriers the Infected were fully capable of learning from their mistakes and using hand to hand combat. Every so often a large group of the creatures would gather on the outside of the fence and there would always be the odd number that would attempt to scale the barbed wire barrier when realizing the electricity in the fence would not stop only to be picked off by the hidden sharp shooters. Despite the threat of the Infected however the chances of them ever breaking into the underground Spheres were very slim. The interest that Umbrella took in such creatures was only in an effort to keep their numbers down, the Infected were only seen as vermin that needed to be culled and were disrupting other projects such as the clones of Alyssa Winterstone.

Striding through the decaying wooden doors and into the dimly lit confines of the shed Griffin then preceded to press the button to call the elevator up from the lower levels. A few moments later a bunch of mouldy haystacks shifted aside allowing the hidden elevator doors to open with a dull ping. The entire interior of the shed had been mostly left in the same condition as it was when first discovered with a few minor alterations. Such changes were enough to please the inspectors on the rare times that they would travel out into the desert to make sure the rusted shed was only used as a type of desert observatory to monitor the 'growth' of the sands towards nearby settlements. The designers had even gone as far to furnish the shed with a few primitive looking pieces of equipment that had been created to measure and record the desert's movements over time. Such equipment was rarely used yet all the staff that worked at the Spheres had been given briefings on how to operate the machinery should a need arise when dealing with the emotionless robotic inspectors.

As the lift grounded to a halt the doors flew open and when Griffin steeped out into a brightly lit steel hallway the rush of air that greeted him was cold and carried the faint aroma of dirt and disinfectant. Quickly walking down the short hallway he entered one of the various 'meeting' rooms throughout S-4. The fourth Sphere was in a way designed to be the main meeting and observatory room for the researchers within the complex, each room was not only fitted with large monitors but also computer terminals complete with video uplinks that allowed discussions between other Spheres and research facilities outside the desert to be held.

The moment that Griffin sat down at one of the terminals it made a light ping announcing that a video uplink session would soon activate. Staring into the screen Griffin only shook his head while sighing, in a way he was happy that none of his research team had been alerted to his presence in S-4 otherwise they would have followed behind him not allowing proper preparation for the conversation that would follow.

As the screen flickered to life and a figure came slowly into view Griffin could only watch as the lifeless face of Trent gradually filled the monitor. Trent had an uncanny way of knowing which Sphere Griffin had moved onto perhaps taking Griffin's last challenging remark as a type of contest to prove that he could be tracked anywhere in the world by Trent. It also appeared that Trent had not changed from his dark suit and sunglasses since the meeting almost a month ago. The man seemed to thrive on the mysterious persona by covering up his pale skin with darker colours even shading his eyes with sunglasses so retinal scanning was impossible. Once Griffin had tried to identify Trent by preforming a scan on an image taken from a previous uplink, the results were inclusive due to Trent's dark sunglasses, it seemed he was either hiding his eyes to avoid identification or there was some other reason for Trent to do such a thing.

Trent, now seated in a high backed leather chair only stared towards Griffin and nodded, "It seems that you are doing quite well managing all four Spheres so far"

Griffin said nothing even though he could have chosen to comment as it was not in Trent's nature to begin a conversation with pleasantries, he instead avoided the strange start and pointed out an obvious factor with the meeting, "You're alone?"

"I thought that we both could have a quick discussion without other committee members, just the two of us" Trent replied as he leaned back in the chair. "There are a few matters that have recently arisen regarding your occupation of the Sphere complexes"

When noticing that there was no response Trent continued, "Results regarding Specimen 8940 have been rare from your end, I have heard that the copies of the subject have not been faring too well but I highly doubt that should be the excuse used to explain the lack of results"

Griffin first hesitated, he was already feeling uncomfortable with the one on one session with Trent as far as he knew the other higher members of the committee, the inner circle, could be watching in the background, waiting for him to slip up. He didn't allow Trent's intimidation techniques get the better of him and spoke calmly and clearly, "I'm assuming you received the photos then?"

"Yes and your point is doctor?"

"The implant may not give off a proper traceable location but I have discovered a better way to locate the subject and will have her back at S-1 in a matter of days"

Trent appeared to shift uneasily in his chair before speaking again, "Be careful you aren't making unfillable promises although it is a great risk to have another follow a civilian transport it is even more dangerous if you attempt to control what you have no power over. I have seen the readouts from the activated implant and already the results are disturbing, if the girl has the ability to override commands what makes you so confident that she will return willingly to you? She has already escaped from you twice, both times could easily have been prevented but you took no action which I find puzzling"

Hearing this Griffin cringed slightly and gritted his teeth, he didn't need reminders about Alyssa's escapes but now wasn't the time to show Trent his words had gotten to him, "The satellites can have their trajectories changed so the next time the optical view is initialised the subject will be unaware of its presence" Griffin then paused before continuing. "Sending Project Alice to monitor the transport Alyssa is hiding in is only a safety precaution, in the event that such commands continue to be refused by the subject then Alice has orders to disable the girl and bring her back to S-1 where I will be stationed at"

Trent only sat back in his chair and nodded while crossing his thin arms, "Quite an impressive rant there doctor but what happens if the two subjects meet face to face? The committee is aware that both specimens will engage in combat if one sights the other how do you plan to overcome that?"

"I have programmed Project Alice to not engage in direct combat should the target be sighted even if Alyssa makes any threatening gestures towards Alice she had no choice but to ignore them, Alice will not harm the girl even if she wants to, however a set of advanced commands in regards to shutting down the subject should she attempt to fight Alyssa could be put into practice with the committee's permission of course"

Again Trent appeared to squirm in his chair and tip his head slightly to the left which hinted that perhaps others were in the same room with him, "Your suggestions are noted however such acts that have not been authorised have the potential to cause more harm then good, my suggestion would be to send the rest of the committee a proposal outlining a few ideas but until then shutting down a valuable subject could lead to greater problems in the future"

The pale figure of Trent then suddenly vanished as the video link was disconnected.

Griffin only stared at the blank screen for a few minutes before turning away, he had always figured Trent to be assisting the rebels in their cause, even though he still had doubts it appeared that Trent was almost allowing Griffin to put forth a proposal that could target both Alyssa and Alice. Sitting back in his chair Griffin allowed a cruel smile to play over his face as he began to think about Trent's proposal. _I could allow this 'proposal' to work in my favour_ he thought.

Moving back towards the computer Griffin pulled the silver keyboard forwards and began to log onto the network, his smile never disappearing.

* * *

A large jolt from the bouncing truck caused Alyssa to suddenly wake up and glance around while frowning. She had been partly awake ever since Jill and Carlos had started the vehicle up but preferred not to wake up fully on the odd chance that sleep might claim her again, it didn't. In the back of her mind Alyssa could feel a slight twinge causing her to lean forward and rub her eyes, she knew exactly what it meant and it was time to come clean about what was following the convoy.

Jill had noticed Alyssa's movements but only assumed the girl was shifting in her sleep to a more comfortable position. She had checked on the sleeping Alyssa twice before her and Carlos had turned in. Ever since sighting Alyssa with her bleeding eyes while staggering forward Jill had become haunted by it. _She was trying really hard to resist whatever force was calling her and those eyes…_Her thoughts trailed off when seeing Alyssa lean forward and sigh.

Carlos glanced towards the movement and nodded while still keeping his eyes on the large tanker in front of him, "You gave us a scare yesterday Alyssa, you ok now?"

Alyssa only nodded slightly while clenching her left hand, "I don't remember much, what I can remember is getting a sudden urge to walk away from the convoy and…"

Jill turned towards Alyssa making eye contact with the girl, "It looked like you were trying to walk forward but couldn't, it's that implant isn't it?"

"They were leading me away and when you came forward…I-I almost killed you Jill and that's not the worst part"

With the exception of the constant jerking from the truck as it ran over the rocky landscape the entire cabin had fallen silent as Alyssa continued, "Last night I woke up and began to wander through the convoy, this man, a total creep in my opinion, he tried to threaten me, before I knew it he was up against the side of the bus and I was choking him. I held off killing him but it was just like before…I could have taken a life and not have been aware of it"

"It's ok Alyssa, what matters is that you didn't kill anyone and you stopped whatever commands that chip was giving you" Jill said soothingly. "We'll figure this out I promise"

Alyssa sharply turned away from Jill and placed her right hand up on the window and shook her head, "No you don't get it, this convoy is in danger!"

"Don't tell me you've been listening to Nathaniel's biker gang stories again" Carlos joked. "The possibility of us running into a gang of that size out in the desert is very slim"

When Alyssa slowly turned back to face the pair her face was serious and filled with fear, "Alice is following the convoy, I saw her back at that farmhouse where the Hyper Sapiens were and last night after I scared off that creep"

The tanker in front of the truck suddenly stopped forcing Carlos to slam on the brakes, seeing how close the vehicle came to hitting the tanker he uttered a low toned phase in Spanish before turning towards Jill and Alyssa, "Umbrella knows we're with this convoy, great that's all we need"

"Nathaniel, Kirsty all the others will be sitting ducks if Alice gets to them, they don't have the resources to deal with someone like that" Jill remarked.

"Last night when Alice came she tried to make me leave with her saying that her purpose for following the convoy was to watch me," Alyssa explained. "I'm starting to think that's a good idea, just to run as far away as I can, Alice isn't the only unstable mind out here"

Jill then moved closer to Alyssa so she could lock eyes with the girl, "Now you listen to me I don't ever want to hear that again understand? You aren't anything like that crazed sadist and running away isn't going to help, if that satellite is tracking you there's nowhere for you to go"

"Besides if you left the convoy you'd be easier to capture by Alice or whatever Umbrella forces are out there," Carlos pointed out. "I'm assuming that no one was missing this morning and in a way that's good, it means that Alice might have only been ordered to keep an eye on you Alyssa we can use that in our favour"

Jill tried to look through the rear vision mirror with little success, sighing she sank back into the seat, "How do we even know that Alice is following us? I know that we should be taking all sightings as a possible threat but why now? Why not before when we were back in the Tablelands? There has to be another reason for her pursuit"

"At first I thought that my mind was playing tricks on me, Alice was only in my sight for a few seconds at the farmhouse but last night confirmed it, she's definitely following us" Alyssa replied.

Carlos glanced towards Jill, "What do you think we should do, tell Nathaniel?"

Jill shook her head, "I think for the moment we'll keep quiet about this, the convoy only stops for a short while and that's when it's most at risk, when it's on the move Alice has no choice but to follow"

"I just hope this doesn't end in a death before we tell Nathaniel" Alyssa said softly. "He's already suspicious"

"Well let's just see what made us stop first" Jill replied as she gestured towards the door. "Then we'll talk"

Both Jill and Carlos got out and started down the long line of vehicles, Alyssa followed closely behind, head down as she pulled the scarf over her white hair.

Various passengers were running back and forth carrying boxes and luggage while talking excitedly amongst each other. A few of Nathaniel's snipers were helping people unload covered items that required two to lift. When seeing Jill and Carlos approach, a few of the people nodded and resumed their work, when Alyssa came forward the majority of the passengers quickly snatched up whatever they could carry by themselves and slowly backed away. Alyssa only ignored the actions of the convoy passengers; there were worse things at the moment to worry about then being seen as a deadly stranger.

Finding Nathaniel, who was helping a group of young children assemble their bicycles Jill approached him.

"Why the sudden stop?" Jill asked gently, she didn't want to anger Nathaniel to the point where he would start to argue. He was still affected by the loss at the farmhouse and pushing an answer from him didn't seem to be the best idea.

Instead Nathaniel only tightened a screw on the front of the bike he was working on and gave it back to a little boy who was waiting patiently beside him before standing up, "Jordan, how about you and your brothers and sisters go and play for a while, I'll be back later to help with your bikes ok?"

Jordan nodded and turning towards his siblings mounted on bikes began to ride off towards them leaving a small dust trail behind him.

Turning back towards Jill, Nathaniel pointed towards a small group of houses with a single tall building in the distance, "It's our first stop on the trail, a lot of families are leaving because they want to live get my drift?"

"Why don't we go into the town?" a voice behind the pair suddenly spoke up. As both Jill and Nathaniel moved around they saw the speaker was Carlos who only gestured towards the small settlement, "Is it against the law?"

Nathaniel squinted against the glare of the sun, "Carlos right?"

Carlos only nodded.

Taking a step towards Carlos, Nathaniel wiped his grease stained hands on his jeans, "Well Carlos it's sort of like this, these little communities out here are kind of sheltered from the outside world, the majority of them are desert nomads and few trust outsiders, because of that they don't allow many visitors to enter their towns but with me it's different, they know at the end of each month my convoy comes with supplies and perhaps a few who have the potential of becoming apart of their little group, only thing is I won't let any of my convoy members mingle with these nomads lest they do something regrettable later on understand? These people are like an exotic fish, one degree above or below the recommended temperature and you've got yourself a tank full of dead pets"

"But these people appreciate what you do for them right?" Jill asked. "They just don't take what you give them without saying thanks"

Nathaniel only smiled slightly and walked towards the large petrol tanker where Snake and Taser had gathered around one of the front wheels, he then gestured towards Jill and Carlos, "Come look at this"

As Jill and Carlos came forward they saw the other reason for the convoy to have stopped suddenly, two large pieces of metal that formed a curled cross was embedded in the wheel of the rig.

Taser glanced up towards Nathaniel, "We're going to have remove the entire wheel, the rubber tread and inner tube are completely shredded"

Nathaniel only nodded and sighed, "Dammit that's our last spare for all the rigs, let's hope we don't run into anymore trouble or we'll have to start undoing the double axels" when he turned back towards Jill and Carlos, Nathaniel shook his head, "When you deal with these nomads they have a funny way of saying thanks"

"They did this?" Jill asked. "But why if you're helping them?"

"Wouldn't it make sense to leave these people out here and pass through?" Carlos inquired. "If they're making traps why do anything for them?"

Nathaniel shrugged, "Not in my nature I guess, these people depend on my convoy to give them supplies and if I didn't come through who knows what would happen" he pointed towards the shredded tire, "This is their method of showing gratitude and besides if you don't have small run ins with trouble in your life every so often it's not worth living is it?"

As Nathaniel kneeled back down to help with the wheel both Jill and Carlos silently hoped that their own 'trouble' wouldn't be responsible for the deaths of many in the convoy later on.


	18. Doing the convoy stalk

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

When Alyssa heard a soft voice call out, she assumed it was her imagination getting the better of her. However when the voice became slightly louder Alyssa turned around to find a very nervous Cool Aid standing behind her.

Cool Aid, whose real name still remained a mystery, was the type of person that Alyssa couldn't understand. She'd heard somewhere that Jill and Carlos had known his younger brother L.J. who had died five years ago and that Cool Aid had moved over to Australia to escape the American authorities after being accused of embezzlement but other then the small pieces of information Alyssa still didn't know Cool Aid's true purpose for being with the rebels other then he was an A grade hacker. Cool Aid seemed harmless enough, though Alyssa didn't really trust him as much as the rest of the other rebels, it seemed that he had never been told what she really was and hopefully such a secret would remain hidden from him.

Eyeing the two silver handguns in their holsters Cool Aid spoke, "Nice pieces there…uh look I really wanted to tell Jill and all but…"

"You're leaving aren't you?" Alyssa suddenly cut in.

Cool Aid glanced up towards Alyssa with a slight look of shock on his face, "Dang girl you're good, how'd you know?"

"The convoy stopped, people are moving off I assumed you'd split sooner or later" Alyssa shrugged. "But these places aren't very technologically advanced"

"Nah it's cool as long as I have this" Cool Aid replied as he unhooked a lanyard from around his neck. On the end of the lanyard was a small USB flash drive the size of an adult's pinkie finger. "I got all my files and shit on here, the only thing I need now is a good port with Internet connection and I'm back in business, I might be able to bring them slow learners out of the Stone Age you hear?"

Seeing the USB drive Alyssa only nodded, "So you favour the rural setting over the high rise buildings now?"

"Just got sick of living in a sardine can you know, out here I'm a free man" Cool Aid said grinning. As he turned to walk away he called out, "When I'm connected again I'll drop Jill a line"

Alyssa could only watch as Cool Aid joined a long line of people that were carrying cardboard boxes towards the small stonewall in the distance. Gradually the bobbing head of Cool Aid faded into the sand dunes and Alyssa began to move back into the convoy to look for Jill and Carlos.

* * *

The figure moved quickly yet still managed to not draw attention with their erratic movements. Carefully avoiding the frowning armed gunmen the figure gradually made its way to the outskirts of the convoy. Taking off a dark fabric hood the figure revealed themselves to be none other then Alice. She had given the convoy a quick inspection and while the people did not seem to notice her, she hadn't found the target she was sent after. Ever since high pitch frequency from the malfunctioning satellite had gone through her head Alice still hadn't 'heard' anything from Griffin. In a way her superior's silence had puzzled Alice, as she knew he was busy keeping an eye on her and the Winterstone girl. Yet there was an absence of commands and directions that had been given to her ever since leaving the Sphere complex, which meant she was carrying out the mission to Griffin's standards or he had been occupied elsewhere.

Moving away from the convoy Alice found a medium sized sand dune and from her newly discovered position began to observe the actions of the passengers. She had regretted not being able to kill a few of the farmhouse zombies and even now the urge to eliminate something had already started to rise as did her frustration for not being able to find Alyssa. Nearby a teenage couple were busy talking in muttered voices, it appeared that the male out of the pair was wanting to leave due to all the 'weird shit' that had been occurring in the convoy, his partner however didn't see any sane reason for leaving and preferred to stay. The argument between the two lasted for a few more minutes and Alice had to unfortunately listen to the entire conversation, her right hand briefly touched one of the Uzi's in its holster but she withdrew it, the couple was close enough to be easily cut down but the noise from the weapon would echo back towards the convoy drawing unnecessary attention.

Both suddenly began to embrace each other similar to a final goodbye scene in the movies, the girl wrapping her arms around the boy's head as the boy threw his arms around the girl's waist. Seeing this made Alice turn away while shaking her head, she didn't have time to watch two love struck teens make out, the mission of finding Alyssa still wasn't complete. But as she walked away from the couple, who still had their lips locked together, it made Alice think what would happen if she was in a similar situation. She'd never had a proper relationship since working for Umbrella and it would probably never happen, such affairs were seen as 'distractions' in her line of work, the thought of being like Jill and Carlos was in a way sickening. Either one would sacrifice themselves if it meant the other would still live, but a small part of Alice wanted that too, all of the people she worked with either saw her as some kind of science experiment or were just plain scared of her. Glancing briefly up towards the sky made Alice wonder if there was more to life then just a series of missions that needed to be completed. Seeing the two lovers today had caused her to question such objectives which forced her to clench her fists in frustration, Griffin could be watching and would not approve of her previous actions but still…

_Risen again have you?_ Alice thought as she shook her head. She thought that the other side had all but died many months ago after years of continuous repression but it seemed that some parts of it were alive and well. Forcing the strange alien emotions aside Alice continued through the sand dunes on the look out for the set target.

* * *

As the passengers that still wanted to be with the convoy gradually wandered back towards the line of vehicles Jill started to search for Alyssa. When exiting the truck the girl had simply disappeared which made Jill wonder whether Alyssa had followed through with her original goal of leaving the convoy when it got further enough into the desert. This only made her search harder as she scanned every face that passed by and carefully checked all the small nooks and crannies of the larger vehicles. Reaching the last track, which was Nathaniel's, Jill felt her heart sink, it seemed that Alyssa had vanished into the sand dunes while the supplies were being unloaded. _Why did I let her out of my sight? Now she's out there with that satellite and gosh knows what else that's tracking her!_ She thought in frustration.

The frustration was soon replaced by fear as a different scenario started to form, what if Alyssa was forced to leave? Jill only started to run down the long line of vehicles, her heart pumping as she now desperately searched for any clues to support that theory. Being in the police forces almost a lifetime ago a part of Jill knew that if Alyssa were taken then there would be very evidence to suggest this. _I'm too late, that monster took Alyssa and I could've prevented it! _

As Jill neared the steel plated van she noticed that the back doors were slightly open and a pair of jean-clad legs were dangling from the sides. Approaching the truck she suddenly let out a sigh of relief, Alyssa hadn't been kidnapped she'd only gone to check on Nemesis and Deception who were most likely wanting to get out of the heated back. As Jill approached Alyssa she seemed to snap out her trance she'd been in and smile faintly.

"Cool Aid left with the others" Alyssa simply said.

Jill only nodded as she slowly started to wind down from her scare, "I thought he would that's how Cool Aid is, sooner or later he moves on, not the type to stay in one place for too long"

"I was thinking of doing the same, Cool Aid had the right idea, he said that rural towns like the one near us aren't as cramped and busy as a city, here you're free to do and be what you want and have no one place judgements on the choices you make"

Hearing this Jill suddenly snapped towards Alyssa, "Out here people are superstitious what would happen if one of your abilities was seen by them? They'd most likely exile you or even worse"

Alyssa shrugged, "I can keep them under control now, they don't rule me"

"Just like back at the farmhouse? It wasn't those blue flames people saw but what you did back there sure scared everyone"

Sharply turning to face Jill, Alyssa spoke, "You still have no idea what I am Jill after an entire year you don't have a clue what I'm capable of, what I was created to do!" she then turned away and sighed, "I'm frightened about not just killing a stranger but someone close to me and never being able to realize what I've done, what Griffin did to me has screwed up my head, I have all these new emotions and urges that I don't think I can control, if I was out in the desert by myself then maybe…"

Jill lightly touched Alyssa's left shoulder causing the girl to jump slightly, "I shouldn't have said that before about the farmhouse you were just trying to help others and I guess that…look Alyssa I really didn't want to say this to you in case it never happens but I think there might be a way to shut down that implant but you'll have to wait a little while before we get there"

Seeing that Alyssa had calmed down Jill continued, "Those people in the convoy they may not have appreciated it before but because of what you did a lot of them were saved if you weren't there to stop those Hyper Sapiens many more would have died, face it you're needed here Alyssa even if you get the occasional stare but like I said before it's your choice, you can stay or go, I won't stop you if you decide to leave"

Despite the heat of the day Alyssa seemed to shiver as she slowly turned to face Jill, fear clouded her face as a single tear of blood ran from her right eye, "They're listening" she whispered.

Inside the back of the truck came a low growl that could have come from either monster but the message was clear, both creatures knew that Alyssa was being used as a camera once again.

At first Jill was disturbed by the sight she was witnessing, it was happening again and just like before Alyssa had the same look of terror in her eyes. Her instincts screamed to run away before something far worse could play out but instead Jill had another idea, one that would perhaps deter the mysterious peeping toms for a little while. Jill only stared back towards Alyssa so that she could see the faint Umbrella symbol in the girl's eyes then in a calm and slow voice she began to speak to the unknown viewers using Alyssa to peer through.

"I know there's someone watching whoever you are and I'll only say this, we're coming for you and nothing will stop us from carrying out our goal of bringing your little sick corporation down even if you send an entire army of your lab rats after us we'll still keep coming you hear?" Jill said forcefully.

A small voice called out to Jill breaking her intense spell, she didn't need to face the speaker, as it was Alyssa.

"They've stopped" she replied smiling faintly, then she looked up towards Jill, "Thank you for doing that"

Jill retuned the smile back, "Anyone cowardly enough to use an innocent victim as a camera eventually backs off sometime, I just wish we had a decent idea of where those Sphere complexes are, all the information Trent gave us only points out general locations to the four labs, we could've already passed them and not have been aware of it"

Alyssa kept her smile only now it seemed as though she knew something that Jill wasn't aware of, "Do you have any paper and a pencil?"

"There might be some paper in the glove box of the truck why do you ask?"

"When Umbrella took over my sight the first time a map came up showing four large complexes hidden under the desert, one of them had coordinates that I was supposed to follow but I resisted" Alyssa explained. "I can still remember those coordinates Jill if I wrote them down then we'd be able to find one of the those Spheres which could lead us to the other three"

At first Jill was confused by what Alyssa had said, as it was the girl looked very exhausted from previous 'eye hacks' but the most recent one seemingly having no effect on her whatsoever, it only appeared to make Alyssa stronger and more determined to take down her tormentors. Taking a step away from Alyssa, Jill first eyed her carefully, "Are you still wanting to leave?"

Alyssa only shook her head; determination flashed across her face, "Not when we're so close, Umbrella was stupid in giving me those directions because now they're going to be used against them"

"Let's just hope it's not a big set up," Jill muttered as she walked off.

* * *

In his large expansive underground lab Griffin sat back from the screen pleased with the sights he had recently seen. While the other members of his research team were busying themselves with monitoring Project Alice, Griffin had taken it upon himself to watch the other subject that was in the same area. He had been foolish to think that by changing the signals the orbiting satellite had for the implant that it would go unnoticed by Alyssa the next time the 'eye hack' was initialised. _She's still aware of its presence, how I've underestimated the girl_ Griffin thought as he stared back at the now blank screen.

Thinking about Jill's threat made Griffin smile thinly, he knew very well that the rebels were very protective of Alyssa and it was clear that they would fight to keep the girl safe and out of Umbrella's grasp. He had instinctively shrunk away from the camera when Jill first glared back and spoke but Griffin knew that the chances of the rebels finding the Spheres were very slim as were any of their threats to personally track down those responsible for the pain caused to certain members of their little group.

Leaning back in his chair Griffin turned towards the steel ceiling. _Those foolish criminals can search the entire desert and never locate one facility and besides the longer they remain out here the more chances they have of not returning alive_. He had been wanting to 'activate' the more advanced commands for Alyssa ever since the implant had gone on line but had held off, as it was the proposal for a new set of orders had been sent off almost an hour ago and all Griffin could do was sit back and wait.

In the semi darkened room Griffin could only stare back at the screen and continue to be patient for the reply. A few minutes passed before a slight ping echoed throughout the room signalling the arrival of a new email.

The grin on Griffin's face only grew.


	19. Chaos, control and sand people

_Just one chapter at the moment, university has become a big thing in my life again so yeah…thanks heaps to Alice it's Raining for leaving some awesome reviews you're the best! _

**

* * *

****Chapter Eighteen

* * *

**

Whenever the convoy stopped at small towns or even for the night Alyssa would remain either in the confines of the truck's cabin or drifting on the outskirts of the line of vehicles. The passengers eyed Alyssa with suspicion and fear, shielding their children or turning away sharply whenever they sighted her, to them the strange white haired girl who could move at un natural speeds was a threat, there didn't seem to be any sympathy or remorse felt towards Alyssa, the only feeling that she could pick up from the group was moreover relief whenever she passed by without looking at them. Both Jill and Carlos noticed this too and it pained them to see Alyssa in her current situation, even with the rest of the rebels the girl was accepted regardless of what she was. Out here in the desert however people were quick to frighten and exclude others who didn't fit into their normal society. Jill had casually mentioned it to Nathaniel while helping unload some supplies but he only shrugged.

"The people have spoken Jill, I can't do anything about it, even I have my doubts about that kid" Nathaniel replied as he walked off with a large cardboard box. "I get heaps of strange passengers that travel in my convoy and I guess you're either a normal citizen who obeys the rules or a tearaway that breaks societies restrictions and eventually becomes an outcast"

Alyssa's condition wasn't helping resolve the outcome either and it was almost as though she could sense it too. She began to disappear whenever the convoy stopped and then would rematerialise like some kind of ghost just as the vehicles were starting up. Carlos had once jokingly remarked to Alyssa that the desert landscape remained the same so there was no use looking for differences but the remark only received a cold glare from Alyssa as she walked around the side of the truck. Jill had once followed Alyssa to her mysterious destination only to find it led her to the back of the truck, it was there Alyssa would disappear into the dark confines, pulling the metal doors shut as she talked to the occupants inside.

Seeing this Jill only shook her head as she stepped away. _Poor kid only feels comfortable around monsters now, she's cutting herself off from people again just like when we first met_. Thinking back to when Alyssa had first joined the group caused Jill's eyes to become blurry, _Alyssa was still innocent then with the exception of a few outbursts here and there but now she's…something else, something different_. She had to admit that after the raid on the Glasshouse Mountains lab Alyssa had been acting strangely, it was as though she had finally lost her innocence that had been granted to her, no longer a wide-eyed frightened girl she had begun to mature at an abnormal rate allowing the hidden repressed side to finally surface. Such evidence of this happening was plainly seen at the farmhouse with the Hyper Sapiens, Alyssa's disturbing behaviour and sudden outburst had even shocked Jill, she could hardly believe that it was Alyssa who was slaughtering the creatures and for one brief moment she was back in the cold graveyard of a dead city watching a different individual move at lighting speeds as they slowly took down the un dead rising from their rotten graves.

Turning back towards the desert landscape Jill sighed, she knew it was unwise to try and force Alyssa to leave the back of the truck just as it would be a waste of time to talk to Nathaniel in regards to how the girl was being constantly excluded from the convoy. Reaching into her left jeans pocket Jill retrieved a piece of gritty white paper and slowly began to unfold it. She was quite aware of what was written on it, thanks to Alyssa's photographic memory she was able to reproduce a map that had been shown to her during the first 'eye hack' incident. Staring at the hand drawn map clearly marking out the four Spheres along with the spidery coordinates below the drawings Jill could only smile as she carefully put the map away. _The sooner we find those complexes the better and perhaps some answers as well_ she thought stepping away from the polished side of the armoured truck.

* * *

For the rest of the day Alyssa had stayed in the back of the heated truck sitting on the wooden flooring with her eyes shut listening to the sounds outside the walls. She could hear every tiny noise even right down to the individual footsteps of the convoy's passengers. At one point someone stopped right beside the truck and Alyssa tensed up instinctively, she didn't want anyone to come inside her private sanctum for two reasons, one was because she wanted to be left alone and the second concerned the two occupants that had been 'caged' up in the back of the truck since leaving the Tablelands. Glancing towards the crouching form of Deception, Alyssa could sense the Hunter's need to exit the truck, he hadn't been able to move in a large open area for a few days but was smart enough to know that such actions weren't allowed due to all the other people around the outside of the vehicle. Nemesis on the other hand had kept close to Alyssa and refused to leave the truck for unknown reasons. The giant monster was currently a few feet away from Alyssa sitting down with his back against the wall and his eyes shut.

Although it seemed that Nemesis appeared to be asleep Alyssa knew quite well that the slightest noise from the opening doors and he'd leap up growling ready to fight the approaching threat. He had been very quiet during the time Alyssa spent with both monsters preferring to only softly growl in response whenever she spoke to him. In many ways Alyssa could understand the reason behind such behaviour, no doubt Nemesis had sensed the potential threat that was now following the convoy not to mention her 'sessions' where control over her body was no longer an option. In the darkened confines of the truck however the monster resembled nothing more then a statue, a black clad figure that would only ever move occasionally to stretch or change positions, it was obvious that sitting down on the wooden floor was something that Nemesis didn't do often, he was a standing creature built to run long distances and fight enemies. Alyssa knew that the only reason why Nemesis would put himself through such torments was to make her feel comfortable, as it was the beating of his large heart was slowly putting her to sleep and Alyssa didn't fight the urges.

Closing her eyes she forgot about the heat and the other noises that surrounded her and started to slip into the welcoming darkness that were slowly rising.

* * *

While Jill was occupied talking to Nathaniel in regards to their current position Carlos began to walk around the make shift camp the convoy had set up for the night. According to some of the other passengers the reason for the sudden halt on the journey was due to a large sandstorm. Camellia had apparently been monitoring the various weather channels via her Internet connection and had picked up a large cloud straight across their path, which turned out to be a nasty sandstorm. Putting the safety of his passengers first Nathaniel made the announcement no sooner after the convoy had left the small farming community behind that they were stopping in a large embankment of dunes for a few days to ride the storm out. The plan to stay put didn't sit well with some of the younger members of the convoy, a few wanted to drive their own vehicles through the storm to safety but were quickly convinced by Nathaniel the foolish and tragic outcomes of such acts. So the remaining vehicles were put into a circle position, reminiscent of the Wild West where the pioneers had done the same thing with their wagons to protect themselves against Indian attacks, thus creating a type of 'seal' in the middle using their various large tarps and tents which inturn provided cover from the whipping winds that would soon follow.

There was a different reason for Carlos's stroll through the busy convoy and that was to find something or someone that didn't want to be found. Although he believed Jill and Alyssa when saying that Alice was indeed following the convoy Carlos wanted to see for himself. _She's probably taken cover from the storm too_ he thought when nearing the end of the 'circle' _maybe this storm will throw Alice off our trail_. He had silently hoped that were true, Carlos had overheard Nathaniel telling a few members of the convoy that whenever a large sandstorm blew up it made tracking large vehicles impossible due to the imprints that the tires left behind were now covered up by sand. _Still I have to be careful, if what Alyssa said was true Alice could be among the convoy and no one would know_. Just thinking that made Carlos grip his assault rifle tighter as he crept forward eyes darting across the sandy landscape.

According to the description Alyssa had given to both Jill and himself, Alice now wore sand coloured clothes, no doubt to blend into the landscape but she would still be easy to identify due to her chosen mode of transport, the black Harley could easily be spotted from a mile off not to mention the engine's intimidating growl as it powered forward. _If Alice was smart she'd hide the bike so no one would see it, which seems to be the case here_ Carlos thought. Seeing that there was no sign of anyone or anything that was following the convoy he stopped the advance and turned towards Camellia's red SUV which had a small step ladder along it's sides.

Making sure that no one was watching Carlos first shouldered his weapon and then began to climb up the ladder. _I have a real bad feeling about what I'm going to see up here_. In the back of his mind Carlos was well aware that Alice had, had some military training before she became a sadistic killer, she'd know very well that in order to blend into the landscape yet keeping an eye on the target you had to choose a position that was close by in order to monitor the movements of the victim. Reaching the last rung on the ladder Carlos pulled himself up and stood on the roof of the SUV while scanning the landscape beyond the convoy.

At first there was only the dry sandy region that made up the Simpson Desert, orange coloured sand with a few scraggly burnt bushes poking up through the earth. Seeing this made Carlos relax slightly, there were only sandy dunes beyond the convoy and they wouldn't allow much cover for someone to hide behind should they follow. He was just starting to doubt the paranoid Alyssa and Jill when something caught his eye.

When getting up on top of the roof Carlos easily passed over the dull shine hidden behind the nearest dune, he was looking towards the distant dunes not the ones closer by. A gentle breeze, the first sign of the approaching storm, had started up allowing the near invisible fabric that was covering the object begin to flap in the breeze. The worst was yet to follow, Carlos could only watch as the fabric drew back to reveal a vehicle he knew all too well, the menacing black Harley Davidson! As Carlos crouched down on the roof and got out his binoculars to search for the rider he suddenly withdrew in shock, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

Walking gracefully out from another nearby dune Alice grabbed a hold of the flapping fabric and secured it behind the engine of the bike. Her head turned from side to side as she quickly scanned her surroundings in case her sudden appearance had been noticed.

Carlos noted the long sand coloured trench coat Alice wore that was no doubt concealing hidden weapons, the twin Samurai blades crossed on her back in clear view while strapped to both her legs were a pair of Uzis. _She came out here fully loaded, Jill was right the convoy would never stand a chance against that fire power and they're just the weapons I can see_ Carlos thought franticly. During the time he had been watching her, Alice had her back to Carlos, seemingly unaware that she herself was being studied by one of her 'enemies' that all changed when she slowly turned around to look back at the convoy.

As Alice stared back at the convoy, Carlos suddenly had a horrible feeling that she was looking straight at him as he watched her through the binoculars, though he couldn't be sure due to the tinted sunglasses Alice wore. When she slowly removed them however Carlos's worst fears became a reality, glancing up causally towards her observer Alice only smiled cruelly before disappearing back behind the dunes the message quite clear: I saw you!

A voice below suddenly caused Carlos to snap out of his daze and as he shakily turned around he saw Camellia standing below with an expression of worry on her face. While her mouth was moving Carlos couldn't understand a word she was saying and as he rapidly descended could only run past a now startled Camellia and towards the armoured truck. Opening the door to the vehicle Carlos slipped inside, breathing heavily while his mind raced. _She's here; dammit that murderer is really here, why didn't I believe it before?_

A cry from behind the seats in the van caused Carlos to turn towards it cautiously, it sounded like Alyssa was having another bad dream, which wasn't unusual after all the shit the kid had been put through. However when hearing the low toned growl from Nemesis, which was a sign that danger was approaching, did Carlos sit up in the seat.

"J-Jill, Carlos, someone please help me stop hurting him!" the shaky tone of Alyssa suddenly cried out.

Pushing aside his own fears Carlos leapt out of the truck while running around the side. When he reached the doors the cries from behind them were partly audible over the whistling wind, though Carlos could make out crying and growling. When Carlos opened the doors to the back however he saw a sight that confused and disturbed him.

At first it seemed like some kind of dream or vision due to the heat that caused Carlos to see the utter chaotic scene in the back of the truck to unfold but he knew very well that what was before him was very real and had the potential to end in tragedy. Alyssa appeared to be fighting the urge to strangle Nemesis, her thin fingers were entwined around the giant's neck while Nemesis was lightly pushing her up against the wall of the truck with his long purple tentacles, growling as he stared back at Alyssa in what appeared to be a mixture of heart broken sorrow and confusion. Carlos could only stand there for the first few moments watching in horror as Alyssa's arms tensed up and twitched as she attempted to choke the creature responsible for keeping her alive to death. It was only when Alyssa glanced over at Carlos with eyes full of pain and suffering did she break the spell.

"Please" she said as tears began to flow from her eyes. "Don't let me kill him"

Now the begging had changed, when Carlos had first heard Alyssa's cries for help it was to make her stop hurting Nemesis, it had taken a sudden switch from simply saying it to actually following through with the light threat, being what she was Alyssa could easily crush the monster's throat with ease if she really wanted to. Alyssa wasn't the only one who had noticed Carlos's sudden appearance at the front of the truck Nemesis now slightly turned away from the 'attacking' Alyssa and eyed Carlos while growling softly, an action that could easily be interpreted as _Why are you just standing there? Come and help me!_

Carlos only nodded towards the monster and began to back away, his mind still reeling from what he saw. _I have to find something to restrain Alyssa till whatever that's controlling her passes_ he thought quickly. _But what? This convoy isn't a military one so there'd be no handcuffs or chains…_

Spying a long piece of rope hanging from one of the covered trucks shattered Carlos's thoughts. Quickly yanking it free from its fabric tethers he turned and sprinted towards the yawning back of the truck. As Carlos was doing this however he ran into Jill who already seemed worried about something else.

"Carlos I've been looking for you, what the hell's the matter? I was just talking to Camellia who said you jumped off the top of her SUV all white and sickly and when she tried to talk to you, you just took off" Jill said.

Carlos only continued forward clutching the old rope tightly as though it were made of pure gold, he only needed to mention one name midst the other words that made Jill follow behind him, cutting the question and answer session, "It's Alyssa, we have to help her"

When both reached the back of the truck they saw that Nemesis was trying very hard not to crush Alyssa in the tight embrace of tentacles and arms he had around her thin body. Alyssa in the meantime was clawing at the leather armbands the monster wore, sobbing softly as she did this.

Carlos only climbed in the back of the truck, ignoring the glare he received from Deception who was huddled in the furthest corners. Making eye contact with Nemesis he only raised the rope before speaking, "Ok padre I need you to hold Alyssa still when I come close ok? You're doing well so far, keep that up"

As Carlos crept towards the struggling Alyssa, Jill followed behind, she could easily see the pain it was causing both Alyssa and Nemesis and how hard it must be for the pair to clash in an unexpected fight. _Alyssa could kill Nemesis if she wanted to, but why would Umbrella get her to eliminate the only thing that's keeping her breathing? _

Suddenly Alyssa kicked Nemesis in the upper torso hard enough to break ribs on an ordinary human being, fortunately being what he was Nemesis only slightly rocked to one side allowing Carlos to sweep under the tentacles and begin looping the rope through the mass of twitching limbs. For a few moments the purple tentacles appeared to lose their grip on Alyssa and Carlos only turned towards Nemesis.

"Don't you dare let go it'll be death for us both!" he said in a harsh tone. "Keep Alyssa still Nemesis and don't release her unless I say so ok?"

The only remark Carlos received was a low tone rumble from the monster and Jill had no choice but to sit back and watch as Carlos quickly began to bring Alyssa's waving arms slowly backwards and secure them with a large knot, which would allow movement, but would not cut into her.

Only then did Carlos step back and nod towards Nemesis, "Ok now you can let go," as he wiped sweat away from his brow.

Alyssa's constant struggling started to become less violent as she stared up at the three figures that stood over her, "Thank you" she said softly.

Both Jill and Carlos remained speechless and could only watch as Alyssa's limbs drummed a crazy taboo on the wooden floor of the truck. Alyssa only glanced towards her saviours, tears continuing to run from her eyes, she went to say something but then closed her mouth as though it was a remark that could cause offence should it be said out loud. Nemesis only looked on as Alyssa's un natural struggles with the urges within her began to cease; he uttered another low tone growl before Jill turned towards the grieving giant.

"Listen I know it's hard for you to see this but make any more noises like what you're doing now and those people out there will want to look inside here" Jill replied in a soft but firm voice, she knew very well once Nemesis got into an emotional 'rut' very little could be done to bring him out of it until he was good and ready.

Deception had started to slowly come forward as Alyssa's twitching stopped but not close enough to stand beside Jill and Carlos. He had seen the entire scene unfold but preferred not to help, once a similar scene had unfolded at one of the testing places and the Hunter who was shaking all over was taken away by one of the white coated men, the creature never returned but Deception knew the men had killed it. A small part of him was ready to spring forward had the white coated men come for Alyssa but the Hunter knew that would never happen, the non virus creatures were not like the men in white coats, they cared for Alyssa and didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

Soon Alyssa stopped shaking and her shoulders relaxed but as Jill came forward to untie the ropes she shook her head, "No leave them on for a little while longer I don't want…"

"You can't stay like this for the entire trip" Jill began to say when she cut off by a piercing glare from Alyssa.

"I didn't say leave them on for that long just for a few more moments" her face then screwed up as though she was about to cry, "Jill I'm sorry it's just that I can't control my emotions right now, I feel like I have to kill any threats…like I'm a prisoner and I have to escape"

Carlos was already at the door and he lightly turned the metal handle, "We'll come back in ten minutes and check on you ok?"

Alyssa only nodded, fear flashing across her eyes, "Thank you"

When both Jill and Carlos jumped down from the back of the truck a few people began to stare at them strangely as though the pair had suddenly become two multi-winged entities. The starers then shrugged and continued on their known destinations never stopping to ask what it was they had heard a few minutes ago. Such reactions from complete strangers was only the beginning for the worst soon followed long after the accusing glares vanished.

As the pair rounded the side of the fuel tanker both saw Nathaniel talking to an elderly man who continued to frown for every word he spoke as though nothing positive would ever escape from his mouth. When sighting Jill and Carlos approaching Nathaniel lightly pushed the elderly man aside and began walking towards them, he too had a frown on his face. At first the elderly man objected being pushed aside like a useless object though when he saw Jill and Carlos he only glared at them before walking in the opposite direction.

"You'd think that we were being accused of being devil worshippers or something," Carlos whispered as he eyed the closing Nathaniel.

"They all want to know what the strange noises were, the growls the screams and I have no idea how to begin, I think we've overstayed our welcome with these people" Jill sighed. "I guess we've had a good run, according to the map Alyssa made we're almost near one of those Spheres anyway"

When Nathaniel finally stood in front of Jill and Carlos he gave the pair a cold look devoid of any emotion, carefully studying their faces before pointing straight at them, "Both of you with me" he only said before walking off.

Despite the situation Carlos only grinned, "Gee we got off pretty easy"

Jill only responded by walking forward, "He wants to talk to us alone away from the others" she was in no mood for Carlos's humour even though it did prove useful for temporarily distracting her.

Nathaniel was found sitting on one of the dunes near the convoy staring out across the wide desert expanse. For a brief moment Carlos feared that these were the dunes Alice had chosen to hide in and at any moment she would materialize from the sands brandishing a sword or one of her many guns when nothing like that happened such an event was forgotten and when Nathaniel spoke all attention was focused on him.

"I know you have some kind of weird animal in the back of your truck, I've been hearing it snorting and stomping around ever since we stopped" Nathaniel then paused before continuing. "But I had no idea you had two…monsters, that's the only word I can find that'll describe a giant and a lizard man, I guess my daughter wasn't making up stories when she said a giant saved her"

"Nathaniel listen we were wrong to have hidden them from you but they don't mean any harm…" Jill was cut off by Nathaniel raising a hand in front of her.

When Nathaniel turned towards Jill, she noticed he had a very tired appearance which extended beyond discovering two genetically engineered monsters, "Don't get me wrong I'm pissed as hell that you bought something like that into my convoy but there are other matters that are more concerning then the freak show you have in the back of your truck"

Jill and Carlos glanced at each other briefly before turning back towards Nathaniel. Seeing the looks exchanged Nathaniel only smiled lightly before folding his arms, "So it seems that there's more to you two then meets the eye"

"What does that mean?" Carlos inquired. "Are you accusing us of something else?"

"I ain't accusing you of nothing if you have a guilty mind that's your problem, what I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted is that you both seem to be aware of the tail that's been trailing the convoy since we left the farmhouse, don't lie to me I can tell you know who and what's following us"

This time Jill didn't even try to make up a story she already knew that gaining the trust of Nathaniel would ensure their temporary stay, if they broke from the convoy now they would be lost. _Nathaniel knows his way around this desert, we're all dead if we leave now_ she thought. Jill only made eye contact with Nathaniel, her face dead serious, "Both Carlos and myself have encountered her before, we just had no idea that she'd find us out here in the desert" she could feel Carlos staring back at her in shock but Jill knew it was necessary to tell Nathaniel what he was up against should the time come.

"So this tail is female? I've assumed that much, one of my men spotted her on an electrical transformer at the farmhouse, I only thought that they were some scout for the desert gangs but when we drove off and she started to follow I began to have my doubts, she's after you two isn't she?"

"Her name is Alice and to put it simply she's a kind of assassin sent by one of our enemies" Carlos replied. "But we're not the ones she wants, Alice is after Alyssa most of all but to get to her, she has to kill us first"

"You bought this murderer to my convoy and now they've suffered for it" Nathaniel said softly, seeing the confused expressions the remark caused he continued. "You didn't know? This morning one of my scouts was found dead, strange thing about it was that there's no way of telling how he died, no gun shot wound, no broken bones, nothing, if your friend is out there killing my men what will stop her from killing an innocent passenger next? I knew I shouldn't have allowed you to come with me, you've been nothing but bad luck and if you leave that assassin will follow with you"

"I'm sorry for your loss Nathaniel but forcing us to leave isn't the best idea, Carlos and I thought that Alice was only following this convoy to keep track of Alyssa but if she's taking out random bystanders then she'll stay here until all of you are dead or worse, your scout was an easy victim and others will follow believe me, once Alice finds a bunch of easy kills then she'll continue to hunt them down and eliminate them one by one, they're the equivalent of insects from Alice's point of view" Jill pointed out. "Kicking us out isn't the best option, we're the only ones who've had the most experience with her, you have no idea what Alice is truly capable of"

Nathaniel only sighed and ran a hand through his short hair, "I was going to leave your group high and dry but now we've got this Alice character following us…I've had tails before but none this bad but if your friend kills again…"

"Alice is not our friend, she's a sadistic murderer and you don't even need to get close to her to get hurt" Carlos said sternly. "She's injured and even killed some of our friends so don't underestimate her, Alice takes what she does very seriously so don't think for one second she'll get bored and head home"

"What's so special about that girl, Alyssa whatever her last name is?"

"She's…one in a million" Jill replied.

Nathaniel only returned to staring across the landscape, "She's that type huh? Well when you're good and ready I know the truth will come out, either I'll discover it or you'll tell me" he then walked past the pair and back towards the convoy shaking his head from side to side as though he was suffering from a bad headache.

* * *

Once the involuntary struggles ceased Alyssa easily slipped through the rope that Carlos had tied around her, it was quite obvious that when the knots were made Carlos had somehow known that Alyssa would easily wiggle free when she wanted to. _He knew that when I was good and ready I'd free myself_ she thought sliding down from the back of the truck. As Alyssa closed the metal doors shut she felt as though she was being watched, not by a hidden threat but a gaze that stared back at her with a combination of curiosity and awe. Turning slowly around Alyssa saw that it was Kirsty who was standing a few feet away looking back at Alyssa as though she was some kind of famous figure.

Kirsty wore another of her brightly coloured dresses covered in large sunflowers making her seem like a single flowering plant growing in an otherwise harsh climate. On her feet appeared to be the child version of Converses while her blond hair hung loosely over her shoulders. In her right hand Kirsty held a doll dressed in a white dress with the same coloured hair as her owner. For a few moments both only stared back at each other neither unsure what to say. Alyssa broke the spell as she slowly backed off, the recent events still fresh in her mind.

Hearing someone approach her from the side Alyssa glanced down and was surprised to find that Kirsty was now standing beside her smiling. Seeing this Alyssa only sighed, "You really don't want to hang around me Kirsty"

"Brendan says you hurt some people and everyone's afraid of you but I think they're lying" Kirsty replied as she began to braid her dolls hair. "You wanna know what I think you are? I think you're a super hero 'cause you have super powers that's the reason why those funny men didn't stand a chance against you"

Alyssa smiled lightly when hearing Kirsty call the blood thirsty Hyper Sapiens 'funny men' but before she could say anything to the girl Kirsty spoke up again.

"You have to be a super hero because they have powers and helpers just like in the comics you know like Batman and Robin, I know your helper, he's the giant man that hides in the back of your truck, he saved me from being eaten by the funny men"

"I hate to disappoint you Kirsty but I'm not a superhero" Alyssa replied. Hearing Kirsty's silence Alyssa noticed that the little girl now appeared as though she was about to cry and that was never good news. "What I meant to say was that I'm sort of like a superhero but you'd never see me in a costume like the ones in the comics"

"But if you're sort of like a superhero then why don't you use your powers all the time and fight baddies?" Kirsty asked as she wiped her nose.

"Superheros can't show off their powers whenever they feel like it, regular people would get scared that's the reason why they're kept hidden and used only for emergencies maybe you could…"

"Will you fight the scary lady who lives in the sands?" Kirsty suddenly blurted out. "Timmy says she has to be the super villain that you have to fight"

Hearing this Alyssa froze and stared straight back at Kirsty, "The scary lady who lives in the sands?" she repeated. "Are you making up stories?"

Kirsty shook her head, "No she's here, when I was playing with Cinderella before she came right up to me and asked if a girl with white hair was still here and when I said yes she asked me to tell you to stay out here till sunset"

Before Alyssa could press for more answers a short boy carrying a cardboard box called out to Kirsty who began skip away. She'd only gone a few steps when Kirsty turned and looked back at Alyssa, "Don't let that sand lady scare you Alyssa, super heroes always beat the baddies no matter how awful they are"

Watching Kirsty disappear from view Alyssa sighed as she moved away, "You don't even know the half of it kid" she muttered. Her right hand suddenly formed a fist but Alyssa only ignored it just like the urges the entire time she had spent with Kirsty to simply reach across and break the girl's neck. Quickly glancing up towards the sky briefly Alyssa felt a short burst of fear but dismissed it. _I'm coming for you Griffin and nothing's going to stop me from doing that_.


	20. Dreaming of reality

_Had a little bit of spare time in between essay writing and decided to post up these next two chapters which have some disturbing but interesting developments with the characters_

**

* * *

****Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

As the sun began to dip low, the long shadows from the vehicles began to creep across the landscape, a signal that would allow others to begin their gradual approach towards the convoy. The potential deadly sandstorm had boiled down to nothing more then harsh winds that only upturned several plastic chairs which had been left outside when the sky grew dark. Slowly the passengers had emerged from their armoured hideaway like a group of disaster victims and began to set up for the oncoming night. None of the passengers had been observant enough to notice an extra unknown figure that had circled the entire camp not even the watchful Nathaniel had noticed that the figure wearing a long sand coloured trench coat had stopped a few feet away from his daughter Kirsty and was now in conversation with her.

Seeing the shock and the other reactions from Carlos had prompted Alice to take her observations of the convoy slightly deeper then what was expected of her by Griffin, who had recently 'reminded' her of the set objectives via a mass of words that scrolled across her vision. The words that flashed forward only made Alice angry at the fact that Griffin appeared to not only be impatient with the progress of the latest mission but also underestimating her ability to complete it. _I'd gladly exchange places with you anytime_ she thought while approaching a large red SUV _watching the lab brat's clones die would be much easier then tracking down the original_. Although Griffin pretended that Alice was unaware of the clone testing facility he couldn't over look the fact that when some of the early tests had been carried out Alice was right beside them watching as the clones slowly failed in the sterile confines of the testing areas.

Kirsty's laughter nearby caused Alice to snap towards it, her hand briefly brushing one of the black metal handles of the nearest Uzi before making a fist and allowing the hand to hang by her side. The little girl was neither a set target nor a threat so no action could be taken. _The kid could be useful in extracting information, she's all alone and it's an opportunity I can't afford to miss_.

Kirsty glanced up towards the shadow that had made the ground before her go dark and saw only the smiling face of Alice.

Alice kneeled down beside Kirsty still keeping her 'friendly' smile, "Hey there" she then gestured towards the Cinderella doll that the girl held, "That's a nice doll you have"

Immediately Kirsty pulled the doll close to her and hugged it, "Not supposed to talk to strangers"

_Smart kid_ Alice thought not being fazed by the answer from Kirsty; she instead tried a different approach towards the girl who she could sense had become very fearful of this stranger. "You don't have to talk to me I just saw you all by yourself and was wondering why you were like that, you see I'm looking for someone and I thought that you might be able to help"

Kirsty nervously eyed Alice while squeezing her doll tightly, "You're scary" she then turned slightly away as though afraid to look at her new 'friend' any longer then sighed, "Who are you looking for?"

"A girl with long white hair, have you seen her? You wouldn't miss her if she was here"

Kirsty slowly stood up as she now began to fiddle with the doll's long blonde hair, "Yes I have, she saved us from the funny men"

"Thank you for telling me that's all I needed to know" Alice replied from her kneeling position, she preferred not to stand up due to Kirsty's fear gradually rising as it was the girl was slowly backing away while her eyes darted everywhere. "One last thing before you leave, if you see my friend can you tell her to meet me after the sun goes down?"

Kirsty could only shakily nod and whisper something inaudible before quickly running off as though she had been chained to the ground and was now free to sprint away in case she was recaptured.

Hearing the approach of several pairs of feet Alice quickly stood up and backed behind one of the large armoured rigs her grin never leaving her face.

* * *

The whole ordeal with Kirsty had been over a few hours ago and the convoy was now surrounded in darkness save for the various lights from lamps and vehicles, which gave the impression of a small settlement. From a distance Alice had watched Kirsty find Alyssa and talk to her, due to being out of range Alyssa could not sense the presence of Alice but was clearly distraught by the time Kirsty had skipped away, her brightly coloured dress drawing in an out like the bell of a jellyfish. Alyssa however did not wait around for the day to grow dark preferring to seek out Jill and Carlos as company.

Edging back to the outskirts where her hidden bike was Alice only grated her teeth in frustration; deep down inside she knew that Alyssa wouldn't come willingly into the desert to have a meeting with her rival. _The girl's too smart to fall for a trick like that_ she thought _there are other ways however to make Alyssa appear if the right buttons are pressed_. Walking behind the nearest dune Alice began to formulate a plan.

* * *

Alyssa's dreams for many years had always been filled with torment and suffering, some events she'd thought had been forgotten but her mind had somehow retained all of these memories forcing them to bubble to the surface and explode like a large amount of trapped air in a lava pit. This new set of dreams that Alyssa would soon encounter were not so much moving images but instead pictures as though she was walking down a hallway in an art gallery. Each picture sat in a frame and the following was far worse then it's predecessor, some were of rooms like the 'dark place' a large expansive area where Griffin had put Alyssa when she was little if she disobeyed him, another image was that of her old house where she lived with her father, however it was not as she remembered it.

The picture of her father's house was now depicted as a mess, the windows had been smashed in, the expensive rugs shredded into large raggedy pieces, the furniture strewn in all directions, the chairs turned over resembling the skeletons of dead animals and most disturbing of all, blood splatters, the red liquid appeared to have been thrown all over the walls as though some maniacal artist had been let loose in the family home, but the worst was yet to come.

Hearing her name being called out Alyssa quickly turned and discovered she was no longer looking at the painting of the ruined room she was actually inside it! A shuffling sound filled the gore-splattered confines of what used to be the dining room as a figure came slowly into view moaning with it's rotting bony arms extended. Alyssa didn't need to know that the being coming towards her was a virus ridden zombie and as she began to get ready for the creature's onslaught she suddenly froze as a chill ran up her spine.

The zombie that was slowly approaching her was her father!

"Dad?" Alyssa whispered as a single tear ran down her face. _It's only a dream but why am I having this?_

The zombie didn't answer and as it shuffled forward began to drool from it's broken jaw, blood and saliva mixing as one sticky liquid. Gradually the creature that had one been her father came into view allowing Alyssa to get a good look at the injuries he had suffered before becoming a walking corpse. His right leg had been broken forcing it to be dragged behind him like a useless appendage, the clothes he wore, now covered in blood and gore, clearly showed seven bleeding bullet holes in the upper torso. The face had almost completely rotted away giving the creature a ghoulish appearance, half of the nose had fallen in to reveal the bony cartilage bridge beneath while the left eye was now a milky white. It's fingers were now close enough for Alyssa to see that they had been worn down to the bone, shreds of tattered skin still hanging from a few of the finger tips.

Feeling another warm tear hit her arm Alyssa could only stare back as the creature continued it's slow approach, moaning and drooling. Seeing the zombie somehow confused Alyssa, she'd never seen what really happened to her father after she was taken away from him, although deep down she knew that he would have been killed for hiding Alyssa but becoming a zombie wasn't the cleanest way to dispose of a rogue scientist from Umbrella. _Something's not right about all of this, I've never dreamt about my old house let alone my dad becoming a zombie_ she thought still eyeing the walking corpse. _It's almost as though this entire dream has been planted…_

Again the voice from somewhere across the room called out to Alyssa and this time she identified the mystery shouter.

The zombie suddenly stopped its advance and Alyssa realized why, poking out from its upper torso was a thin blood stained blade. The blade suddenly withdrew causing the corpse to sink to the floor allowing Alice to step forward grinning cruelly.

Alyssa's shock at her father's 'murder' was replaced by anger as she stood her ground glaring back at her rival. _It's just a dream, Alice didn't really kill my father, it's not real_.

"A shame it isn't real" Alice replied as she causally wiped the blade on the dirty carpet.

"How did you…?" Alyssa began to say before she realized how Alice had managed to pull off such a feat. "Get out of my head!" she said forcefully.

"You're angry, that's good, let it help you find me in the real world" Alice snickered as she slowly backed away. "If you don't find me soon Alyssa I'll find someone and do what I did to your father, his death might have been part of the dream but an innocent bystander in the convoy will not"

Suddenly the entire room vanished and Alyssa sprang up in her seat causing Jill to turn towards her and blink at her sleepily. Reaching for the handle Alyssa felt someone stop her. Turning slightly she saw it was Jill who was slowly waking up to stare back at the girl.

"I had a bad dream and I'm going out to get some fresh air," Alyssa said as she pulled herself free. Sensing Jill's suspicion Alyssa only glared back, "I'll be fine you can go back to sleep ok?" sliding through the small gap in the open door Alyssa quickly crossed the sands near the convoy and into the dunes keeping alert for any signs of movement.

Sensing an approach from behind her Alyssa only smiled, "Only cowards attack from the back"

"Who said anything about attacking from the back?" the mocking voice of Alice replied, slowly she came into view, materializing out from the darkness of the desert and into the dim glow of the lights in the distance. "You took your time in getting here Alyssa, needless to say I am impressed with how well you stood strong, the majority of my victims don't even wake up but then again you are a special individual with a gift"

"You had no right to do that, what you did was wrong"

"Don't deny that you enjoyed it, just think you could do the same thing as well had you made the right decisions" Alice sneered. "But there's still time for that"

"If you think that I'd go back with you just because you invaded my dreams then you're sadly mistaken, my answer stays the same as it did before, no"

"That's a shame to hear" Alice replied shrugging. "I didn't do that little trick to force you to come, think of it as a test of power, surely at one time you're guilty of doing such an act too peering into the memories others have repressed, using their fear against them, it's a wonderful tool to use if others won't tell you what you need to know" when noticing Alyssa's shocked expression Alice only laughed, "My, my we are in the stone ages for abilities" her face then turned serious, "Listen up Winterstone, I'm not some bad little dream that'll go away I was sent out here to bring you back and if you're not breathing by the time I've done that then too bad, you're a pathetic and weak child with wasted potential preferring to help others who'd rather kill you then using your abilities for other purposes"

Alyssa didn't even take to heart what had just been said to her, they were the same words and phases Alice had used on her for years and they were getting old fast, so she tried a different reaction, "That might be true but at least I'm not named after a character from a story written by a hopped up junkie"

That was all it took, Alyssa could feel Alice's anger the moment she had stepped forward and a childish comment had pushed her over the edge. Before Alyssa could blink once she felt something gently touch her left eye, staring back at her fuming rival Alyssa realized that Alice had taken out one of her swords and was now holding it inches away from her eye, a few more and it would have easily pierced the soft jellied tissue of the retina but as the blade appeared to wobble it made Alyssa realize that Alice could not carry out such an action no matter how hard she tried.

"Very cute Alyssa, you're trying to push me to see how far I'll go, clever tactic, make your enemy mad then use a choice phrase so they'll be blinded by anger and lash out without thinking" Alice commented as she slowly withdrew the blade. She then shook her head and blinked her eyes "You have some fans watching at the moment" sliding the sword back into the scabbard that was on her back Alice spoke again, "Very well seeming as you enjoy playing games let's up the antics, every time the convoy stops and you refuse to come I'll kill one of the passengers, it could be anyone even a child depending on whoever I see first, you've probably already noticed that one victim has already fallen, the sentry a few nights ago, that was me, he got in my way and he was just the start, let's see how long you'll last Alyssa with all that blood staining your hands, only you can prevent them from dying, the next time the convoy stops you'll know what to do"

Slowly Alice vanished back into the darkness chuckling softly to herself all the while glaring back at Alyssa with her cold blue eyes. Alyssa could only watch her disappear even though she wanted to shout something else out to confirm her refusal to submit to any opposing force. The moment that Alice had gone Alyssa turned back towards the convoy, her head throbbing with the on set of a new headache all the while thinking about how to tell Jill and Carlos that the stakes were much higher now. _If I weren't here then innocent people wouldn't have to die_ she thought while trudging back through the sands. _I have to leave if only for a few days just enough to throw Alice off the convoy's trail_. But such thoughts were only minor compared to the horrors that would soon follow the convoy's path and it would be something that even Alyssa would have no control over.

* * *

As dawn broke over the convoy the large tarps that had protected the group of vehicles for the past few days were rapidly dismantled, the loose fluttering of the large pieces of material were almost like birds struggling to fly. Nathaniel had been one of the first inhabitants up and was now walking around the group helping out wherever possible and speaking to others when they approached him. It was discovered quite early in the bright hours of the morning that some of the vehicles had sunk into the sand, shovels were quickly passed around to the heaviest out of the group allowing them to be dug out first before the sand heated up.

Once again Alyssa had vanished but this time she chose to sit on the front of the truck as she watched the rest of the convoy's actions, the way that she sat with her knees pulled up to her chest made her resemble a large human hood ornament only moving slightly to avoid the creeping rays of the sun. On seeing Alyssa's actions Carlos could only watch on as the girl silently suffered, Jill had told him last night that Alyssa had, had a 'bad dream' and disappeared for the remainder of the night, she had apparently found her on the front fender of the truck and hadn't moved since this morning.

A voice nearby caused Carlos to suddenly turn away from Alyssa and towards Jill who, despite the sun only starting to rise, had sweat beading her face, he blinked at her, "What was that?"

"I said try and look busy when Nathaniel comes, he's very close by and doesn't like as though he's in a good frame of mind," Jill said as she walked past him. "Boy you really are spaced out today, I guess it must be spreading from Alyssa"

"That's who I'm worried about Jill, Alyssa's been acting strange since we got here and I think it ranges beyond what's happened to her in the past"

"You think that Alyssa's late night walks are to see you know who" Jill said as she turned to face Carlos. "I know that whenever I wake up she has this tortured expression on her face, last night I heard her mutter something about her father and for someone to get out of her head"

"Geeze I didn't think that Alice was capable of doing that, I mean it has to be her right? None of this happened while Alyssa was back at our house, its almost as though Alice is slowly poisoning her in a psychological sense" Carlos shook his head "Using Alyssa's own father against her that's just sick"

"I don't really understand, Alyssa said that she was immune to Alice's psychic attacks but this is different, maybe Alice was right we don't know everything about her, this mind invasion is right off the charts"

"Maybe the two of you should stop wasting time peering into the past expecting to find an answer and look to the future instead" a voice spoke up from behind them.

Turning to face the speaker both saw it was Nathaniel sweaty and red in the face, pausing to wipe his brow he spoke again, "Thought you were supposed to be helping my convoy not stand around and talk"

"Nathaniel" Jill said trying not to sound surprised "How long have you been standing there?"

Nathaniel only threw Jill a large rusty shovel, "Long enough, I saw your little friend last night, not in the flesh but the plume of smoke from her campfire over those dunes"

"We were about to…"

"It's almost as though your assassin is mocking us, wanting someone to find them and they're the most dangerous types, the ones that want to be found and don't bother with all that stealth bullshit" Nathaniel then turned to fully face Jill and Carlos, still keeping his stern expression. "I know that tail that's been following us is from that Umbrella company you rebels are trying to take down and that fact that you dragged my convoy into it under my nose has seriously pissed me off but I will not allow some stranger to waltz right on in here and kill some poor innocent bystander. Your Alyssa may be on a different plain then all of us but she doesn't deserve to be killed for it, that kid's a fighter and we need more of her kind in this world, gives the rest of us hope that we can stand up and face our fears"

Nodding towards the pair Nathaniel then walked off while shouting to a few other adults to tie down a large tarp on one of the transport trucks.

"I think he's starting to warm to us" Carlos joked. "Though Nathaniel might be giving us a mild hint to leave"

Hearing this Jill only smiled thinly, "That's obvious for sure" she then gestured towards the front of their vehicle, "Go and get Alyssa down while I start up the truck ok?"

"I thought I was doing all the driving for this trip like I always do?" Carlos said frowning. "Since when are you the expert navigator over this dangerous terrain?"

"Since now and besides everyone needs a break" Jill replied as she walked in the opposite direction. "Anyway I have the keys, someone didn't take them out of the ignition last night"

Carlos only shook his head while smiling and watched as Jill rounded the metal sides of the armoured truck.

* * *

Once the vehicles had been assembled into one long line they began to drive off across the sandy desert landscape onto their next destination. The dust left from the vehicles hadn't even settled before a loud thumping engine filled the air, exploding from the sand dunes like a large jungle cat the black Harley and it's rider navigated onto the tracks the trucks had left and began to follow.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent driving though the sand blasted terrain that made up the well named Sandy Desert. Only once did the convoy stop and that was for Nathaniel to 'open' the remains of a rusted gate which involved ramming it with the large metal extension he had attached to the front of his rig, it moreover resembled a cow catcher like the kind found on old steam trains. The sun was still blazing high up in the sky when four of the large transport trucks, similar to the one owned by Jill and Carlos, peeled away from the long line and gradually made their way towards what appeared to be a mining town complete with wind mills and large oil pumpers that bobbed up and down like metal birds attempting to drink from the earth they were mining.

The radio on the truck's dashboard crackled to life causing Alyssa to become suddenly wide awake as she stared at it. "Good luck Tony and your group hope to see you next time perhaps, just don't get blown up you silly idiot" Nathaniel's voice said through the static.

Carlos only gave the departing vehicles a casual glance, "That's almost a quarter of the convoy gone"

"I did hear that a few were leaving to find work on the desert oil rig this morning" Alyssa replied. "Guess they all wanted a job or to escape from Nathaniel's bad moods"

"The latter sounds more appropriate" Jill said as she stared ahead. "The convoy's getting a lot smaller which is good in a way, a smaller group means tighter night patrols and hopefully no more deaths"

Alyssa moved towards the dust-covered window and sighed, "Yeah wouldn't that be nice no more killing all because the group of people have shrunk"

The only answer that such a remark received was silence throughout.

The rest of the day passed without any trouble, which according to Nathaniel when the convoy stopped for the night was very rare in the cases of biker gangs that lurked out in the desert. When several small fires were lit Nathaniel's warning about the legendary gangs had turned into a yarn session and with his daughter Kirsty snuggled up beside him he began to tell of all the times he'd ever encountered the bloodthirsty bikers. His stories went well into the night and even caught the attention of Alyssa who despite the fearful looks she received as she approached the fire's edge couldn't help but be caught up in Nathaniel's story telling. Soon however everyone began to get restless and Nathaniel capped off his tales before walking back to his rig carrying Kirsty.

Climbing into his large black rig Nathaniel heard Kirsty quietly call out to him, peering over into the small sleeping area of the truck he noticed that Kirsty was still wide awake and only blinked back at her father, her small pale face hidden under a thick blanket.

"Still awake after all those stories?" Nathaniel asked smiling. "That's not like you Kirsty"

Wiggling out from underneath the blanket Kirsty slowly took out a battered hard cover book with a picture of a castle in the clouds surrounded by a green bean stalk, "Read me one of these daddy then I'll be able to go to sleep"

Moving into the sleeping area Nathaniel cambered onto the small bed allowing Kirsty to slide up beside him, "You have a favourite or do you want me to pick one?"

Kirsty only smiled, "Silly daddy you should know my favourite one is Sleeping Beauty"

Opening the book Nathaniel only nodded, "Of course how could I forget that was your favourite? Daddy is a bit silly for not knowing that" reaching forward and switching on the monitors for the cameras outside his rig, a recent addition with the help of Camellia, he kept one eye on the screens and another on the book, "Ok are you ready?"

Kirsty only nodded, her eyes growing large with excitement, "Ready"

Little did Nathaniel soon realize that the fairy tale he would begin with his daughter would later escalate into something by far more fearful and dangerous then any giant or evil witch from a fantasy realm.


	21. Petrol Bandit

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

Glancing up towards the screen for the eighth time Nathaniel continued, every time he missed a part in the fairytale Kirsty would look up towards him and point out the overlooked paragraphs yet Nathaniel, tied as he was, continued to read despite the interruptions from his daughter or the fact that Kirsty had heard the story so many times she almost knew it word for word.

"And there was a clap of thunder and smoke swirled around in the room, it suddenly cleared to show a lady dressed in black, she was none other then the evil dark fairy" Nathaniel read.

A shadowy form suddenly darted pat one of the small screens causing Nathaniel to pause.

Kirsty nudged her father, "It's not that scary daddy you've read that part to me before"

But Nathaniel's thoughts were elsewhere. Pushing the open book towards Kirsty he edged towards the front while slowly taking out his shotgun. _I knew there were patrol bandits in my convoy_ Nathaniel thought _can't believe I only spotted them now, who knows how long they've been carrying out their crimes_. Hearing Kirsty cry out Nathaniel turned towards her, "It's ok sweetie daddy just has to check something out, you stay here ok?"

Despite being only seven years old Kirsty knew very well not to ask questions. She only nodded and watched with large eyes as her father left the rig.

Dropping silently into the sand Nathaniel began to approach the petrol tank all the while listening for any sound. He'd had doubts ever since the convoy had left Birdsville, times were tough and people were greedy. _Not to mention they all hated the idea of the rationing _Nathaniel thought to himself. Although the petrol tanker was large it only had enough fuel to last the journey and even then the concept of it running dry was still a plausible scenario. Recently however Nathaniel had noticed a slight drop in the tanker's levels. They were barely recognisable and only occurred when the convoy had stopped for the night. Someone it seems was taking the chance to top up his or her tank while everyone else was fast asleep.

Nearing the tanker Nathaniel heard the cable, which would extract the petrol, being quietly placed back. A few minutes later the cable unhinged itself, due to not being properly secured by the mysterious petrol snatcher, and began to swing back and forth trailing a few precious droplets of fuel with it. Grumbling, Nathaniel rushed forward while gripping his shotgun, he didn't care if the thief would be scared off or not what mattered now is preventing any more losses fuel wise. When finally reaching the swinging cable he snatched it up and clipped the nozzle back into the holder, it never crossed his mind where the thief was. Suddenly Nathaniel felt something cold press into the middle of his back as a metal snicker sounded off.

"Drop your weapon Nathaniel," the cold voice of a woman said. "Then get on your knees"

* * *

For the fifth time that night Alyssa awoke with a shudder. There was no particular reason for doing this but when waking up for the fifth time Alyssa could sense that something wasn't right. Glancing over towards Jill and Carlos, she realized they'd given her the majority of the tiny cabin space, as they were both tightly against the driver's sidewall. Carlos was sitting up in the seat with his head slightly to one side and Jill had her left arm around Carlos's shoulders while her right arm and head rested on his stomach. Both were fast asleep and Alyssa decided against waking them.

Quietly turning the handle of the door Alyssa slowly opened it. Sliding out through the small gap and onto the ground she felt the cool sand beneath her bare feet. Walking past the armoured bus Alyssa heard the loud snoring of an occupant and the wheezing chorus of several others. Past these sounds her sensitive hearing picked up something else, soft voices just loud enough to be audible.

As she strode forward Alyssa stopped while gritting her teeth and took a few steps back. A sharp ringing filled Alyssa's head as she massaged her forehead with her right hand. She knew very well what that sound was coming from and suddenly the night didn't seem all too peaceful anymore.

* * *

Slowly Nathaniel placed the shotgun down onto the sand. The moment he did this the weapon appeared to be pulled back by an invisible force.

The gun was pushed harder into Nathaniel's spine, "Now on your knees" the woman's voice hissed. "It would be a shame if I had to pull the trigger"

Nathaniel had remained calm for the entire ordeal, he simply shrugged, "Sorry I'm not the kind to listen to thieves, you got what you wanted now get out of my sight"

The woman chuckled lightly and removed the gun allowing Nathaniel to slightly turn around. Although he'd seen the mysterious bike rider at a distance and heard Jill and Carlos's explanation, nothing could prepare him for seeing the detailed version of Alice up close. The first thing that Nathaniel noticed were her general features, this 'killer' wasn't what he expected, she seemed like the femme fatales out of old spy novels, beautiful in appearance yet very deadly. The long trench coat she wore flapped behind Alice like a pair of folded wings, her pale white skin glowing in the dim moonlight, despite having a thin body frame she still stood firm on two feet not moving making her seem more intimidating. Her blue eyes glared back at Nathaniel as she smirked while carefully picking up the shotgun.

Nathaniel noticed that beside Alice was a medium sized fuel canister, which explained the sudden drop in petrol levels.

Carefully examining the shotgun Alice spoke, "This is an older model correct? I thought so, this type of pump action weapon has a wooden stock instead of a metal one, it's almost an antique in a sense"

Cracking open the gun Alice slowly removed the two shells then placed the weapon on the ground, "I'll take these too, never know when they'll come handy"

"You've been at this for a while"

"Whenever you stopped to be more precise, I can't follow you on an empty tank, such a shame you saw me though, it's forced me to take drastic actions" Alice replied as she levelled the handgun at Nathaniel's chest.

The passenger's side door to Nathaniel's rig suddenly opened and Kirsty's voice floated out towards the pair, "Daddy, where are you?"

Nathaniel was distracted by his daughter's voice and took a step forward.

Darting behind Nathaniel, Alice grabbed his right arm and twisted it behind his back before whispering into his ear, "Tell her to go back inside Nathaniel I have no intention of hurting your daughter"

Despite the position he was in Nathaniel smiled, ignoring the dull pain from his arm, "Your threats are empty and mean nothing"

As Kirsty's voice began to rise, Alice shoved Nathaniel aside and pointed her handgun towards the open door; she then glared back at him. A small white leg appeared at the door's opening followed by two hands. Still aiming the gun Alice flicked the safety switch off never taking her eyes off Nathaniel.

"Kirsty get back inside, daddy's only going to be a few minutes longer ok?" Nathaniel called out.

After a few moments there came a frustrated sigh as the leg and both hands withdrew and the door slowly shut. Nathaniel let out a sigh of relief when seeing this, if Kirsty had gotten outside there was a slight chance she'd be used as a bargaining tool for a desperate murderer wanting to make a quick escape.

Watching Alice back away Nathaniel gestured towards the red container, "You've stolen all you can from this convoy, so why don't you just go"

Alice glared at Nathaniel when hearing this, "You are in no position to issue orders"

Throwing the handgun towards Nathaniel, Alice then pointed at the weapon, "Pick it up"

At first Nathaniel wanted to disagree but he suddenly felt compelled to slowly walk forward and retrieve the gun.

Watching Nathaniel stiffly stalk forward made Alice grin, "See Nathaniel you said you couldn't take orders when in reality you can"

As his hands closed around the pistol Nathaniel wanted to pull away but couldn't, it was as though his body refused to obey his brain, "What the hell are you, some kind of witch?"

The reaction disappointed Alice; previous victims would have started to beg by now due to their involuntary movements being prompted by an outer force unknown to them. _This one's strong_ she thought _let's see how far he'll go_.

"Not really I'm just more superior then you'll ever be" Alice said still keeping her cruel smile. Pointing towards the gun Nathaniel now held she spoke, "Now put it to your head"

Again Nathaniel tried to stop his arm moving on it's own accord but found it impossible to do so. He could only carry out the horrible command and feel the cold metal muzzle of the weapon press against the right side of his face.

A figure suddenly stepped from out of the shadows and began to approach the pair. From where he was standing Nathaniel couldn't get a clear view of the mysterious stranger. He only saw a tall figure dressed in dark colours with long white hair. _It's that kid Alyssa what's her name_ Nathaniel thought _I'd spot her a mile off with that head of white hair but what's she doing out here?_

Alice had a different reaction to Alyssa's sudden appearance, "I knew you'd come, don't heroes appear at the last moment?"

Alyssa only eyed Nathaniel who was holding a gun to his head she then looked towards Alice, "Leave Nathaniel alone, it's me you want so let him go"

Hearing this Alice grinned and flicked her right hand towards Nathaniel, "Very well then"

Suddenly Nathaniel flew backwards into the metal walls of the tanker. Hitting the polished side of the vehicle with a dull clang he slumped lifelessly to the ground. Alyssa couldn't take seeing Nathaniel in the state he was in and ran forward. Upon reaching him, she could hear his breathing and rapid heart beat.

Calmly striding forward Alice picked up the dropped handgun and put it back in it's holster, "You needn't worry Alyssa I didn't exert enough force to kill him, there'd be no fun in that"

Alyssa turned to glare at Alice and noticed the red container she held, "You're stealing the convoy's fuel?" she asked in a tone of disgust.

"In order to survive and keep an eye on you yes, it's an instinct to want to live, you should try it sometime" Alice sneered.

Alyssa only clenched her hands into fists while blue flames began to curl up them. Faintly she could sense Alice's fear for the flames, a long time ago she had suffered terrible burns from them.

Taking several steps back Alice disguised her fear for the flames by gesturing towards the tanker Alyssa stood behind, "Not a very smart choice Alyssa"

Alyssa only seemed confused by the remark as she stood her ground.

Alice only shifted from one foot to the other, "Go ahead use your little sparks but be aware that the large tanker behind you might get caught up in the cross fire and being full of a flammable substance all those innocents including your rebel friends and pets will be incinerated then you'd be all alone"

The flames encircling Alyssa's arms didn't die down and instead of replying only glared back at Alice, her face expressionless.

_Stupid child isn't even aware of just how dangerous this situation is_ Alice thought but she only shrugged, "As much as I'd like to stay and talk longer I'm afraid I must go but feel free to blow the tanker up if your urge to kill is too overpowering, the blast wouldn't affect you"

Alyssa watched on in a powerless state as her rival slowly disappeared into the surrounding shadows. She only allowed the flames to die down when no longer sensing Alice in the vicinity. Glancing towards Nathaniel caused Alyssa to sink to her knees into the cold sand. _If I hadn't of come at that moment Nathaniel would've been dead_ _I'm responsible for this, I led Alice here and if she kills anyone else it's going to be my fault_.

Looking out across the dark featureless landscape Alyssa sighed, she knew that in order for the convoy to pass through safely she had to leave. _They'll be fine_ Alyssa thought as she got to her feet while blinking away tears _besides without me the passengers and the others won't have to worry about being hassled by the threat of a killer_.

Hearing a moan behind her Alyssa turned to see it was Nathaniel who was starting to come around. As she walked towards him she began to formulate an escape plan that would separate her from the group.Nearing Nathaniel his eyes fluttered open as he touched the back of his head winching at the pain he received before looking up towards Alyssa.

"She listened to you… why?" he said softly while attempting to sit up.

Alyssa said nothing as she gently helped Nathaniel to stand; she positioned him so that he was leaning against her while he regained his own balance.

A few moments later Snake and Taser ran from behind the tanker appearing out of breath and concerned.

"We heard a loud clang and came as soon as we could" Snake breathed.

"You ok Nathaniel?" Taser asked.

Gently pushing away from Alyssa, Nathaniel stood on his own feet, "Had a fall that's all" he then walked past the trio and picked up his shotgun. "I'm fine ok, both of you get back to your posts"

Alyssa watched as Snake and Taser first hesitated before turning and leaving, they knew it wasn't wise to doubt the convoy leader. When she turned back to Nathaniel she realized he was staring back at her.

"Everyone's got their own problems" Nathaniel replied.

"Why didn't you tell them the truth?"

"I guess it's wiser to keep that between us, the last thing I want is more people panicking and wandering around at night only to become easy pickings for that assassin" Nathaniel said shrugging. Turning his back on Alyssa he began to walk back to his rig, "Though I am starting to believe what Jill said, you seem to be one in a million but I still don't really know why"

Listening to Nathaniel's fading footsteps Alyssa began to pick her way back to the truck, nervously glancing up towards the sky made her realise that she no longer had her scarf to cover her head yet at the same time the spying satellite seemed so meaningless to the larger threat everyone in the convoy now faced. _I'll have a plan by then that'll make everyone safe by the time the sun rises_ she thought while walking forward and as the first rays of sunlight began to play across the horizon for the first time in a long time Alyssa smiled when seeing the glowing light in the distance.


	22. Unwanted recognition and tiny stowaways

_This disturbing little chapter isn't really for the faint hearted but it shows the full extent of Griffin's character among other hidden themes here, enjoy! _

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One**

* * *

When she was alive the girl would have been very beautiful but now what remained of her face was in fleshy tatters while the front of her grey tracksuit had become drenched in blood. The one good eye that hadn't been obliterated stared lifelessly up into the ceiling, never again would it allow its owner sight now the jelly orb that sat amongst a fleshy cage had no further use.

Reaching across Griffin shut the single eyelid while shaking his head, at the moment an autopsy was out of the question, he knew what had killed the recent activated clone but he still couldn't understand how it had happened. Griffin had gotten a frantic call from Henry while still at S-4 and had immediately left. Apparently the girl had somehow broken free from the test grid and found her way up into the main part of the lab. All of this was still going on as the helicopter carrying Griffin descended on the sandy landing pad.

Henry had approached Griffin appearing out of breath and distressed, however that very same expression always seemed to be present with the large man. "We have her cornered in one of the examination rooms, there's no way she can get out of there without going through the squads outside" he yelled over the whirling blades of the 'copter.

Griffin only rolled his eyes while walking forward, "This shouldn't have happened in the first place, I'm tired of having to clean up your mistakes Henry"

At that moment the door to the 'mansion' flew open and a heavily bleeding clone appeared holding a scalpel in her right hand. Looking up towards Griffin she screamed and began to half run half limp towards him, her eyes were filled with blood lust and hate and for one brief moment Griffin was disturbed at what he saw. _This one knows_ he thought stepping back instinctively _she figured out who she is but how?_

A single gunshot sounded out across the now quiet desert landscape and at the same time the right side of the girl's face simply dissolved in a cloud of vapoured blood and splintering bone. Taking a few more wobbly steps forward the now shocked clone crumpled onto the desert sands as her body began to twitch. Four men wearing black body armour began to run towards the pair, all were carrying guns so it was impossible to tell who the true shooter was.

The nearest one glanced at Griffin; "She ran at us with a scalpel, two others down below are badly cut up"

Now the blood on the front of the girl made sense to Griffin, it wasn't the clone's it had been the members of the squad she had sliced through in order to escape. He only smiled and shrugged, "You were just doing your job captain"

When the girl's body had been transported down into the large autopsy room it was discovered that she was still alive and only watched as Griffin began to busy himself with the contents of a syringe. Although he wanted to attempt to keep the clone alive to study her brain waves Griffin knew that she wouldn't last long. Turning back towards the clone who was still heavily breathing he only smiled, "Don't worry you won't feel anymore pain soon"

Gently picking up the left arm of the girl, Griffin injected the contents of the syringe then took the now shaking hand and held it while humming to the tune of 'Raindrops keep fallin on my head' while the clone began to rapidly seizure making gurgling noises as she did this. A few moments later the body became still and Griffin glanced down at the lifeless corpse, "Your suffering is all part of the larger plan," he whispered.

* * *

As usual when the early rays of sunlight began to shine through the windscreen of the truck Jill was first to awake. Unhooking herself from the warm embrace of Carlos she then rolled over to check on Alyssa's position. Seeing that the girl had disappeared from the truck caused Jill only to sigh and turning back to Carlos whispered in his left ear, "Hey you awake?"

Breaking out of his sleep with a jerk Carlos looked down at Jill and smiled while yawning, "Did you sleep ok last night?"

"Why do you ask that?" Jill said sounding confused. "I thought that type of question was reserved for Alyssa who has once again disappeared this morning"

Carlos shrugged, "You were muttering things in your sleep last night I thought you were dreaming about…you know, the past"

A snort from behind the seats caused Jill to glance up into the green eyes of Nemesis who was only staring back at her dully as though he too had just woken up, "Does everyone have to know what goes on in my head?" she asked in frustration.

Carlos had also noticed the extra presence and turned towards Nemesis, "Hey there amigo you doing ok?"

"I almost forgot those two were with us, we've never let them out since leaving the Tablelands let alone given them anything to eat or drink"

"Alyssa's been doing that, I saw her take in a large container of water into the back a few days ago, I don't really think those two need to constantly be fed like regular animals do, Umbrella designed their monsters to be unstoppable I highly doubt they'd let a little thing like hunger or thirst slow them down"

"Still they've been cooped up all this time and not a peep from either one, maybe they know that there's heaps of people around and realize that coming out isn't an option"

Carlos turned back to Jill grinning, "So you're actually worrying about Nemesis and Deception dying in the back, that's not like you Jill?"

Giving Carlos a gentle shove Jill began to move towards the passenger's side door, "I try and keep things exciting by changing my attitudes to things every so often"

The moment Jill and Carlos had gotten to the front of the truck Snake and Taser who had serious expressions on their faces approached them. Seeing the two men in their current state of mind made both stiffen, there was an odd chance that they had only come to them due to Alyssa's actions or worse another body of an unfortunate victim had been discovered.

Taser only gestured down the convoy, "Nathaniel wants to see you two now"

Snake then pointed up towards the front fender of the truck where Alyssa had now appeared and was watching the group with alert eyes, "The girl too"

Walking up the long line of armoured trucks Jill and Carlos were surprised to find Nathaniel leaning on the side of his rig with a bandage wrapped around the side of his head. As the group approached he only nodded towards Snake and Taser who turned and began to walk back the way they came.

Nathaniel didn't wait for any questions regarding his unusual 'head dress' and only jumped straight to the matter, "This morning Flynn the driver who mans the petrol tanker stepped on a scorpion and it bit him, stupid son of a bitch can't drive the rig because both his legs are now swollen up like a pair of watermelons" he then paused and looked straight at Jill and Carlos, "I normally don't ask new comers to my convoy to take over the job of one of my best navigators but I need someone to drive that rig and no one else will do it, no one I can trust" the last part of what Nathaniel had said was in a whisper which meant he wasn't joking when bringing it up.

Jill nodded, "We'd be more then happy to help you Nathaniel"

"But what about our truck? We need someone to drive that" Carlos spoke up.

"I think you'll find that your driver has already been chosen" Nathaniel said as he walked off while rubbing the back of his head.

Confused Jill and Carlos turned around to see that Alyssa, who had remained silent through the entire conversation only smiled back at them.

"I convinced Nathaniel when hearing about what happened to his driver" Alyssa explained. "It's also high time I started to help you two out more"

"But do you even know how to drive that truck?" Jill asked. "It's not some little sardine can on wheels, this is a large vehicle and has the potential of injuring people if not driven correctly"

"You know it only takes one person to operate that petrol rig, I could still drive ours" Carlos suggested.

Alyssa shook her head, "You two don't get it, I've watched Carlos drive that truck ever since we left and if you haven't of guessed by now I pick up things pretty quick, I'm not a little kid anymore, I want to do this, stop me and you'll regret it"

Jill only sighed, she knew that Alyssa would never hurt anyone intentionally but judging from the glare she was giving them both and her forceful tone, talking the girl out of driving the truck would be a waste of time. "Ok Alyssa we'll let you drive the truck, it is about time we realized that you're an active member of our group"

"But on one condition, you can only drive it until that man Flynn's feet have healed then I take over understand?" Carlos said.

"Thank you for trusting me, you won't regret it" Alyssa replied, her face remained serious not happy or bright as Jill or Carlos expected, as she began to walk away.

Watching Alyssa go Jill turned back to Carlos, "I hope we're doing the right thing, what if she gets taken over again when she's driving?"

"I don't think Umbrella would do that, it's too much of a risk, if Alyssa's hidden away from that satellite then they really can't track her unless…" he trailed off. "Well we both know that Alyssa's strong and has resisted so far, we can only hope she continues to fight back"

Jill only nodded and stared across the landscape, "Hope… that's something rare out in these parts"

* * *

Getting inside the truck Alyssa shut the open door, which had obviously been left like that by Carlos when exiting, and began to study the various levers and gears of the vehicle. Looking up through the windshield Alyssa only sighed as she felt for the key in the ignition. Convincing Nathaniel to allow Jill and Carlos to drive the petrol tanker had been made easy thanks to her abilities, although not as strong as her rival's Alyssa had no difficulty in making the convoy's leaders mind believe that it was doing the right thing. _I had to do it, it's for the best leaving them behind, now everyone's safe and no more deaths will happen because I'm not here_. Her plan was quite simple, wait for the vehicles to travel a certain distance then break away into the desert, no one would follow and it would be done so fast that even Jill and Carlos would be slow to react. Gripping the steering wheel tightly Alyssa stared out and watched the rest of the convoy members climb into their vehicles and waited to make her move.

When the large armoured bus now in front of the truck driven by Alyssa started to move forward she felt a rush of excitement yet at the same time fear, other then the times when she was separated by force from Jill and Carlos this would be the first time she would cut herself away from the pair voluntarily. Hearing a low toned growl Alyssa glanced up into the rear vision mirror to briefly see Nemesis staring back at her through the tiny window.

"You know it's for the best" Alyssa replied as she shook her head. "Stop worrying ok, everything will work out" though a part of her didn't want to believe that, since the encounter last night Alyssa hadn't sensed Alice at all which disturbed her, it meant that either she'd moved on or was ahead of the convoy waiting for them to pass by. _Can't think that, besides once I'm away from all these innocent people I'll be able to deal with her properly_. She had no intention of killing her rival only making sure that Alice never followed the convoy again, but even Alyssa knew that someone like her murderous equal wouldn't be readily convinced to leave a bunch of easy victims behind, there was always the possibility that somewhere down the track the pair would clash and only one would walk away. _Let's hope that when that happens I'm the one_ Alyssa thought as she shifted the gears of the truck _I'm the only person who can hold Alice back if I die…_

Snapping out of her thoughts Alyssa began to focus on her next course of actions while still keeping an eye on the bus in front. She didn't want to leave her exit for too long in case she suddenly had a change of heart and preferred to stay. In the distance a large termite mound became visible and Alyssa knew that was her starting point to her break away. Placing her hand on the gear stick she suddenly picked up slight movement on the passengers side but when briefly glancing towards it only saw it was the old camouflage tarp Carlos had lent to one of the convoy members for use during the sand storm. How the tarp had suddenly reappeared in the truck was a mystery as Alyssa had only seen Jill and Carlos leave the truck this morning, no one had given them anything and they hadn't returned back to the vehicle after talking to Nathaniel. _I can't be thinking like this, I have to stay focused_ Alyssa thought as she saw the mound grow closer.

The next few minutes did not fly by like that in a movie, more over they were agonisingly long, each second that flew past was like a knife slowly cutting into Alyssa's side and it pained her to know that soon she would be leaving the convoy and her only two real, human, friends behind in an effort to stop a maniac from hurting others. She had always heard her father say when she was little that every living being has their own destiny to fulfil and that it may take an entire lifetime for them to discover it. _I know what mine is, to protect others_ Alyssa thought as she blinked away tears _defend them from whatever horror that has been sent to take their life away_. The termite mound was so close to the truck that Alyssa could make out the tiny entrances for the insect workers and she didn't waste a moment longer, with the gear stick in an iron hold she jabbed it forward and turned the wheel.

Suddenly the shiny side of the refurbished bus vanished to be replaced with the open and featureless desert landscape. The glare from the sun and sands caused Alyssa to squint as she lowered the sun visor as the truck bounced along the terrain. Her moment of triumph was shattered when the radio on the dashboard spluttered to life as the worried voice of Jill filled the cabin.

"Alyssa! What are doing? Where the hell do you think you're going?" Jill's voice shouted.

Glancing at the rear-view mirror Alyssa noticed that the entire convoy had stopped dead while watching the truck move away trailing a plume of dust after it. She picked up the comm. link and pressed the talk button; "I'm deciding my destiny" she replied and then switched the radio off to prevent any answer from coming back. When looking up into the rear vision mirror again she noticed the line of vehicles had disappeared into the desert and only then did Alyssa know that she was truly alone and separated from the group. A loud snort from behind the seat caused Alyssa to smile lightly, "It's for the best Nemesis, you and Deception should know that, we can't be around normal people but it'll be ok now"

No sooner had Alyssa spoken did she notice a large flat topped building gradually rise in the distance, glancing at the clock built into the truck's dashboard she realized that forty minutes had passed since she'd driven away from the convoy. _Amazing what this landscape can do, time seems to disappear into it when you're all alone_ she thought. Peering through the rear vision mirror and seeing nothing trailing behind her, either vehicle or motorcycle, made Alyssa slightly relax, Jill or Carlos had made a smart decision and decided against chasing after her. As the building began to get closer she couldn't help but feel guilty in leaving two people who had fought long and hard to protect her behind with a convoy of strangers. _Not to mention I'm driving the truck we all came here in, how will Jill and Carlos ever get back?_

Nearing the building Alyssa noticed the similarities with the abandoned office they had all explored at the Bohle industrial area in what felt like several life times ago. The roof was completely flat, save for a large power transformer that stuck out from the top like the single horn on a long dead giant beast, the windows had either been smashed in or boarded up while the grey cement walls of the building were severely sand blasted and in some places missing large chunks of cement. A badly faded and bent sign named the site as a type of power plant but guessing by the state the building was in it had been long since abandoned for many years. As Alyssa navigated the truck past the various remains of old cars and metal containers she kept alert, even though she didn't believe Nathaniel's stories about biker gangs she really didn't want to run into anyone out in the desert for the sake of their life and hers.

Pulling up beside a large rusting tower Alyssa stopped the engine and slowly got out. She gradually began to inspect her new surroundings despite the fact that there really wasn't much to the decaying power station and it's various abandoned heaps. Briefly glancing up towards the clear blue sky Alyssa knew that staying at the power station would only be temporary, she had to keep going, not really knowing too much about the implant Griffin had put in her, something told her that she had to always be moving unless the spying eye up in space locked onto her.

Turning and walking back towards the truck Alyssa suddenly saw something that froze her to the ground.

Hidden behind an old truck, much like the one she drove was a black Harley Davidson. Slowly moving away from it Alyssa muttered unintelligibly, she hadn't seen the bike when first entering the building's vicinity and now it seemed there was more at stake then running into a bunch of violent bikers. Sprinting around the side of the armoured vehicle Alyssa quickly unlocked the doors and was just about to pull them open when she heard a sound from inside the truck. Edging forward Alyssa slowly reached for her left handgun as she curled her hand around the passenger's side door and pulled it open aiming the weapon at the source of the noise. When she heard a small gasp as she opened the door Alyssa lowered the weapon to stare back into the frightened eyes of Kirsty. The little girl only looked up towards Alyssa with an expression of fear as she raised her small hands defensively.

"Kirsty?" Alyssa asked as she put the gun away. "What are you doing here?"

"Playing hide and seek, please don't tell my daddy" she pleaded. "He thinks I'm still asleep but Timmy wanted someone to play with so I-I did"

Seeing Kirsty in the state she was in made Alyssa realize this was her sign to return back to the others. _I was stupid to even break away in the first place; I just hope that I don't run into any more problems_. Bending down towards Kirsty, Alyssa looked straight at her, "It's going to be alright, we'll both go home now ok?"

Kirsty only nodded and curled into the tarp she had been hiding under and as Alyssa went to undo the belt buckle to allow Kirsty to sit up in the passenger's seat she started to feel a mild tingle in the back of her head, but she had already sensed the 'other' presence way before discovering her stowaway. Trying not to show Kirsty she was scared she spoke in a low tone, "How good are you at hide and seek?"

"Really good, I beat all the other kids" Kirsty said proudly.

"Think you can show me how good you are?"

"But I'm still playing with Timmy"

Alyssa only smiled, "That's ok we'll tell him we're playing a double round"

Kirsty only frowned but pulled the tarp over her, "Ok but he won't like an adult playing too" her reply was muffled from under the plastic fabric.

"Just make sure you don't move or make a noise no matter what you hear outside, I'm going to be testing to make sure you really are the best and if you win you get a prize" Alyssa whispered as she shut the door.

Dashing around the side of the truck Alyssa quickly eyed the bike and noticed the shotgun clipped on the side. Opening the doors Alyssa turned towards Nemesis and Deception who were standing still, "Wait for my signal then follow me ok?"

Creeping towards the bike Alyssa swept her gaze back and forth looking for her hidden tormentor all the while attempting to ignore the high pitch ringing sound in her head. She only had time to spy a large gaping doorway in the building before she reached the bike and a figure began to slowly walk forward from the shadowy opening of the building's entrance.


	23. Tunnel Vision

_I'm very grateful to Alice it's Raining for leaving many reviews, it's allowed me to continue to upload more chapters, even if I get through to one reader, this story must be told and it's something I'm very proud of. _

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two**

* * *

The roof of the large abandoned building had proven useful in providing Alice a vantage point but also a place far away from any distractions, which allowed her to slip into a trance like state. When she'd left the convoy after encountering Alyssa the second time Alice had gone on ahead knowing that the long line of vehicles would pass by the power station and her assumptions were correct. The abandoned buildings with their junkyard pile at the front became a 'home base' for Alice; it was here she could safely store all of her weapons in one place only taking the ones that were needed when going into the convoy at night to keep track of Alyssa. The peace and quiet of the day was about to ruined however when a large armoured truck suddenly pulled into a small clearing amongst the rusting heaps. 

From her rooftop position Alice only first watched the intruders to her sanctum through slitted eyes as she slowly edged towards the sniper rifle that had been propped up on a few sand blasted bricks. When peering through the scope at the driver who exited the truck she only smiled cruelly when seeing it was Alyssa who appeared scared and confused. _Finally found the brains to realise what you were doing was wrong did you? _she thought slowly slipping away from the rifle and towards the rusted metal staircase. Before leaving Alice made sure both her blades and Uzis were safely in their holders as she descended the stairs. 

* * *

Alyssa didn't show any emotion when seeing Alice suddenly appear from the shadowy doorway she only stood her ground and stared back at her equal. Already she sensed that Alice was spoiling for a fight and Alyssa could only hope that such an event would not play out. _I have to lure her away from Kirsty, but how? _

"Have you finally come to your senses Alyssa, or is this an ambush planned by your little friends?" Alice sneered as she approached. 

Quickly reaching across Alyssa took the shotgun from the bike and levelled it at Alice, "I came here to tell you to back off, leave the convoy alone, others don't have to suffer just because you have problems dealing with what you are" Alyssa said forcefully, she began to take several steps back in an attempt to get Alice to follow.

"Nice to see you still haven't lost that fiery disposition, you'll need it when you're back with Griffin and threatening me with my own gun I so stupidly left out is a nice improvisation but you should know that's your killer instinct coming through, don't try and hide it Alyssa it's there for all the world to see or should I say for those who want to see" 

Alyssa only held up the shotgun, she knew how to make Alice follow her, despite the position she was in Alyssa knew if the right buttons were pushed she could make Alice angry enough to give chase into the building, "You want it back then you'll have to catch me first" 

By now Alice was at boiling point, she had Alyssa in her sights and the girl was taking the time to mock her, when seeing Alyssa dart away she followed close behind grating her teeth, "You want to play a game? I'll give you a chase Winterstone, one that'll end in my triumph you foolish child" It hadn't even crossed Alice's mind that the back doors of the truck were wide open and as the sound of the shotgun sounded off close by two forms, one large and the other middle sized suddenly shot out of the van with enough force that one of the doors flew back and narrowly missed hitting Alice. 

Grabbing a hold of the door Alice swung it back with enough force that the entire truck appeared to wobble to one side. Seeing Alyssa and her two pet monsters disappear into the building forced Alice to stalk around the side of the truck, fists clenched and muttering under her breath. Hearing a small voice cry out caused her to stop and peer into the passenger's side window, which had been wound down. Inside was a dark green tarp that moved and uttered another small cry when Alice nudged it with the muzzle of one of her Uzis, when two small hands slowly pulled the material aside and the as frightened face of Kirsty peered out the little girl screamed while desperately trying to pull away from Alice. 

A loud throaty roar close by caused Alice to forget any plans she had in tormenting the girl as she started to walk towards the entrance of the building, "Consider yourself lucky kid" she said while taking out both of her Uzis "At least you'll get to live unlike a few cowards here today" 

* * *

The cement tunnels inside the building pulsed with heat forcing Alyssa to slow down and wipe the sweat from her face. Behind her Nemesis thudded to a stop and Deception continued down the hallway at a slow walk only stopping every few steps to turn back and bear his teeth. 

Alyssa only nodded towards the Hunter, "Go on then we'll catch up" a few seconds after Deception had disappeared around the nearest corner in the tunnel Alyssa heard a high pitch scream which caused her to snap towards it. "Kirsty" she whispered. _If Alice has done anything to that kid I'll…_ her thoughts were cut off when seeing the light at the end of the tunnel darken and at the same time Alyssa began to receive the familiar high pitch ring in her head. Even from a distance she could sense that her rival was angry which gave Alyssa some hope, the only thing on Alice's mind was to find and fight her opponent, which may have distracted her from hurting Kirsty. 

Beside her, Nemesis began to growl softly when sighting the shadow from far away but Alyssa only patted the monster's right arm while smiling thinly, "Just get ready to run really fast when I say"

When seeing Alice at the start of the hallway Alyssa fired the shotgun a second time causing her to stop as she shouted out down towards her, "You're a bit slow in following, I had to stop to allow you to catch up" 

Alice only glared back at Alyssa as she clenched both of her fists, "I wouldn't do that then it'd be easy to catch you, just remember even if I can't find you there's always that little girl you so thoughtfully provided if you refuse to come with me or have you forgotten our other game plan?" 

Hearing this Alyssa stiffened as she clenched the gun between her hands while Nemesis uttered a low toned growl, it had never occurred to her that even if she lost Alice in the tunnels there was still the chance she could locate an exit and kill Kirsty while Alyssa was finding her own way out. She only slightly turned towards Nemesis; _Get ready to go_ she thought. The giant only snorted and remained still never taking his eyes off Alice who had started her slow approach while grinning like the maniac she was. 

"I didn't think you were capable of such things Alyssa but this is just another scrap of proof that you're finally accepting what you are, by all means you can take the life of an innocent before we leave I just didn't think it would be a child but you can't be picky I guess" Alice snickered. 

Alyssa only balanced the shotgun in her right hand while slowly raising the left, "Don't think it's over yet, this is just the start" flicking her hand downwards caused a long line of blue flames to suddenly appear across the floor preventing Alice from going any further. Not wanting to stay around to see her rival's reaction Alyssa turned and sprinted down the hallway with Nemesis running beside her. Turning another corner she was surprised to find Deception who was standing at the entrances of two hallways. Placing the now empty shotgun on the cement floor she then turned towards Deception, "You think you can buy us some time? It'd be worth your while" 

Deception knew exactly what Alyssa spoke off and nodded while backing away into the darkest corner until only his yellow reptile eyes could be seen. 

Choosing the right tunnel both Alyssa and Nemesis then ran down it, their footsteps slowly fading out into the concrete walls. 

Both pairs of footsteps had barely faded when Alice ran into the double hallway with her twin Uzis drawn, the end of her long trench coat smoking, she was now beyond reasoning and the only thought that kept Alice from doing anything rash was thinking how much pain Alyssa will go through once she was back with Griffin. _But not before my turn comes_. 

Sensing that she was being watched Alice whirled around and fired a brief burst from both weapons, "I know you're there so stop hiding like a coward and show yourself!" she snarled. Briefly her eyes caught a glimpse of an object lying on the floor not too far way from the entrance to the right opening but seeing this Alice only smiled as she started to calm down. _So clever to lead me down the wrong hallway and it might have worked too if I was some lowly dim witted Umbrella solider _she thought while walking up to the weapon. 

Slowly bending down to retrieve the shotgun Alice's sensitive hearing picked up the sound of feet rapidly running towards her, she only had a few seconds to react as Deception bounded past her snarling savagely. Feeling the rush of air as the monster slipped by her, Alice turned to face the Hunter who was getting ready for another attack. "So this was Alyssa's great plan, send you in to do her job? I should have known better, well at least this time there's nowhere left for you to run to Hunter" Alice said as she looped the empty shotgun over her shoulders. 

Again Deception ran forward only instead of following a straight path when nearing Alice he dodged aside at the last minute and began climbing up the walls. Cursing silently Alice raised her Uzi's and at the same time felt something wet on her left side, glancing at the distraction for a moment made her realize the reason for the Hunter's sudden deviation of movements, he hadn't mistakenly moved aside, the monster had taken the time to fatally wound his enemy. Lightly touching the bloodied patch beneath her coat caused Alice to grate her teeth, it was the exact same spot the Hunter had cut her before when he'd escaped nearly a year ago from her sights. "Oh you're clever but it'll be short lived I'm afraid, you're still only an animal, a suicidal one at that" she muttered. 

Pointing both the guns at the now climbing Deception, Alice fired a long burst causing the Hunter to scramble across the ceiling like a large gecko. When appearing to lose his grip on the cement ceiling Alice saw her chance to move in and deliver the final blow. Standing directly below Deception she only smiled cruelly while aiming the guns, "Nice try but your time's up" before she could go any further her vision suddenly blurred causing Alice to look away while shaking her head. 

Seeing his chance Deception dropped down from the ceiling and ran towards the right hallway, he had to find the others and fast. 

Hearing Deception leave Alice attempted to see where the Hunter had run off to but due to her blurry vision could only make out shapeless shadows in the dimly lit chamber. _Damn you Griffin and your experiments!_ She thought angrily _I know it's you_. After a few moments her vision returned and turning away from the two hallways Alice began to walk up the one she'd come from. It would be a waste of time trying to follow Alyssa and the monsters through the maze of tunnels; it would make sense to wait for them to reappear after they thought they'd lost their enemy below before striking. _Then we'll see who is smarter won't we?_

* * *

The tunnel that Alyssa had chosen eventually led her and Nemesis up through a smaller hallway and down another cement corridor that had a faded exit sign over the doorway. Quickly approaching it Alyssa pressed up against it as she turned the rusted metal handle, when not sensing anything harmful on the other side she carefully opened the door and scanned the surroundings before walking out. 

The exit had led the pair around the back entrance of the building and as Alyssa and Nemesis began to carefully pick their way through the mass of abandoned machinery a light scraping at the door a few feet away forced Alyssa to stop and turn back. As the door slowly opened Nemesis uttered a threatening growl and Alyssa began to reach for her handguns, if Alice had somehow tracked them down then both would only have a few minutes to react before she launched her own attack on them. When a green scaly arm wedged the door open Alyssa relaxed as Deception quickly bounded out of the door and across the heaped metal, he turned once to face the pair before roaring and continuing his hasty exit. 

Kirsty's voice floated around the building and hearing the girl's cries spurred Alyssa into action, somehow Kirsty had managed to escape from a terrible fate and this gave Alyssa the strength she needed to continue on. When finally locating the truck she immediately walked up to the passenger's side door and peered in trying not to think the worse. 

Calling out softly to Kirsty and seeing the scared face of the girl peer from underneath the tarp made Alyssa relieved, Kirsty hadn't been harmed only scared. 

"I wanna go home," Kirsty sobbed. "I wanna go before the scary sand lady comes back" 

"We're going soon" Alyssa said soothingly, looking through the window of the truck she could just make out the back wheel of the Harley and it gave her an idea. "Kirsty I need you to do something for me" 

Rubbing her eyes Kirsty nodded, "Is it a superhero thing?" 

"Sort of, I know you're scared and all but do you think you could keep a lookout while I go do something?" 

"What are you doing?" 

Alyssa smiled, "You'll see, once I'm done that scary lady won't bother us for a long time" 

Racing around the side of the truck Alyssa first secured the back that by now had both monsters safely inside, then began to approach the bike. Along the way she picked up a thin metal pipe that had been cut at an angle so the tip was now extremely sharp. 

Scanning her surroundings Alyssa circled the Harley before striking the large fuel tanks and watched as the petrol began to flow forth onto the sands. The strong scent of fuel made Alyssa back away and as she eyed the thick tires the pipe she held suddenly felt heavy. A small part of her didn't think it was right to not only destroy the bike but also leave Alice high and dry with no means of ever escaping the desert, but she also knew it had to be done. _If I don't do this Alice will find the convoy again and will more then likely won't hesitate in killing everyone_. Aiming the sharp end towards the rubber Alyssa easily pieced the thick outer tube of the tire and as it began to release the air she went around to the front and did the same thing. 

Suddenly Kirsty screamed out to Alyssa and as she looked up towards the building's opening could understand why. Striding out across the junkyard was Alice, her face twisted into an expression of anger as she tightly held the Uzis. A large bleeding gash on her left side was evident to suggest that Deception had gotten his 'vengeance' on the killer responsible for destroying his family but Alyssa knew she didn't have the energy to take on her enraged foe especially with Kirsty now in full view. 

Dropping the pipe Alyssa ran towards the driver's side door and yanked it open before crawling inside, never taking her eyes off Alice who was silently closing in. As she started the truck's engine Kirsty pointed out through the windscreen and gave an ear-splitting scream. Briefly glancing out through the window Alyssa saw that Alice had put both guns away and now had taken out one of her swords while snarling at the truck. 

Winding down the window Alyssa then pushed the gear stick in reverse, "Hang on" she called out to Kirsty. 

With a shuddery jerk the truck slid backwards over the dry earth and as it passed the rusting truck Alyssa put her right hand out the window and flicked a small spark towards the petrol drenched sand near the disabled Harley. Wrenching the steering wheel tightly to the right Alyssa manoeuvred the truck out onto the open desert sands and accelerated hard, behind the truck she heard an explosion though didn't stop to check her handiwork. 

The explosion could have easily been from straight out of a corny action film, when the bike exploded a large plume of choking oily smoke rapidly ascended into the sky while heat radiated out from it like a type of nuclear fall out. Chunks of burning metal spread outwards and smashed into the rusting vehicles nearby. 

Alice had stopped her advance when picking up the scent of petrol, she knew exactly what Alyssa was going to do and nothing could be done about it. Although the explosion was only brief she didn't wait for the flames to die down and simply walked past the smoking wreck of what used to be her Harley and only watched powerless as the truck gradually disappeared into the desert. Despite the fact that the anger deep down inside Alice was now boiling and ready to explode she only smiled and began to walk back to the building. 

"Smart kid" she said softly while sliding the single sword back into its scabbard. 


	24. Reunion and sparking sands

**Chapter Twenty Three**

* * *

As the truck suddenly broke formation and began to disappear into the surrounding desert Jill had to fight the urge to do the same. Instead she snatched up the comm. link and shouted into it demanding to know what Alyssa was doing and not caring if anyone else in the convoy heard her or not. When the cryptic reply came it only caused further frustration from Jill. _What the hell does she mean by destiny? Or maybe the desert heat has finally gotten to Alyssa_. As she tried to talk into the comm. link after the reply came she knew that the girl had turned her own radio off. 

By now the rest of the vehicles had stopped as well and placing the comm. link back into it's holder Jill sighed, "I can't believe Alyssa would do this after all we've been through" she then slammed her hands on the dashboard blinking away the sting of tears, "I should've seen the signs they were right in front of me and now that she's gone I…" Carlos gently placed his right hand on the one that was on the dashboard cut Jill short.

"You can't blame yourself Jill, there was nothing neither of us could have done that would have prevented Alyssa from leaving, everything happens for a reason and if Alyssa made a decision to go then we have to accept it, she's going through a lot of things right now maybe she just needs some time alone" 

"What if she's found by that monster that's been following us? She'll be taken away and I don't think we'll never see her again, they'll hide Alyssa in some remote part of the world where finding her would be impossible"

"She'll come back Jill I promise" Carlos said softly, he then smiled "If she doesn't then you call me a big lair and not talk to me for the rest of the trip" 

The radio uttered a few static crackles before Nathaniel's voice came though the speakers, "Jill? Was that your truck I just saw drive off into the sunset?" 

Reaching across Jill picked up the comm. link, "Yes, yes it was" 

There was a few moments silence before Nathaniel replied again only this time it was for the whole convoy, "Alright everyone we're wasting time just sitting here time to move out" 

When Carlos started up the engine again Jill only glanced out the window at the sunbaked landscape. _I hope you're somewhere safe Alyssa_ she thought watching, as the sands became a blur.

* * *

The convoy travelled throughout the remainder of the day without any notable events with the exception if a cracked windshield that was soon repaired by a teenager named Alvin. 

Carlos, who had driven the large petrol truck for the entire time couldn't take the stifling silence anymore and turned towards Jill who was staring out of the window in a type of trance, "Hey Jill I think it's starting to rain outside" 

Jill quickly snapped forward and blinked her eyes while at the same time appearing very confused and worn out, "Hmmm? Sorry, I must have drifted off again"

"You drifted somewhere" he then paused. "You're still thinking about what happened this morning?" 

"Actually I was thinking about the mission, Alyssa running away is sort of sitting in the back of mind at the moment" 

Carlos only patted the large duffel bag that sat between the pair, "I'm only glad I took this before Alyssa did a runner it has extra ammunition and the plastic explosives for when we reach those Spheres" 

"That's what I was thinking about Carlos, what do we plan to do when we find one of these Spheres, blow it up or simply gather information and will we have enough time to get rid of them all?" 

"Ok for starters that's a whole lot of deep questions that you've obviously had time to think about" Carlos remarked. "I think we'll all do fine once Alyssa comes back" 

"You're really confidant that Alyssa will come back, what if she does and brings that sadist Alice back as well?" 

Carlos shrugged, "Depends on what the situation is but I'm sure it'll be for the best" 

Jill frowned, "Confidence and a positive attitude are very bad combinations you know" 

Nathaniel's voice suddenly spoke through the speakers forcing both to listen to it, "Just over these dunes we're going through right now appears to be a large clearing that's where we'll be stopping for the night and I want all vehicles to form a circle like before, any complaints and you're more then welcome to spend the night out in the dark away from us" 

"Nathaniel sounds a bit paranoid" Jill commented. 

Carlos nodded while staring straight ahead, "Yeah I picked that up too, wonder what it was that spooked him? Nathaniel doesn't seem the type to be easily scared" 

"Amazing what artificial life created by an evil company can do to you"

"You think Nathaniel had a close encounter with Alice?" 

Jill nodded, "Maybe but it seemed out of character for her not to kill him" 

"You never know these days, perhaps Alice was ordered not to and only watch Alyssa, the superiors I had while working for those creeps were like that, they'd give us a simple mission and if we got too sidetracked by other things then they'd pull us back and remind us what the original objectives were" Carlos explained. "Maybe Griffin did that with Alice once he found out she was running the risk of blowing her cover when killing that sentry Nathaniel mentioned" 

Quickly turning the wheel Carlos began to navigate the large petrol tanker past all the other smaller vehicles that were starting to form a semi circle. Jill continued to look out of the window when she noticed something very large that was rapidly closing in on the convoy in the fading light. 

"What the heck is that?" she muttered not taking her eyes off the large object. 

Pulling the large parking brake Carlos causally glanced through the window as well, then pulled back as he began to open the door, "It's a truck" he said before disappearing outside. Undoing her seat beat Jill almost moved in a mechanical fashion, her body chose to open the door and to walk towards the armour plated truck that stopped a few metres away from the convoy. By now Snake and Taser had appeared from behind the bus and began to approach the truck with their handguns raised as the door slowly opened and a figure slid out onto the sand. As the door shut with a metal clang all could see the figure was none other then Alyssa. Realizing that Alyssa wasn't a threat both backed away and walked into the circle of cars. 

Jill had a different reaction. 

When seeing Alyssa step out of the truck so casually she was at first filled with joy at laying eyes on a member of their team that was thought to have been lost or worse but then Jill's feelings of happiness were replaced by those of anger when realizing how close she'd come to losing Alyssa. 

"What the hell did you think you were trying to prove back there?" Jill said angrily as she strode up to Alyssa. "You just can't take a little trip into the desert and not think it'll affect anyone!" 

Alyssa only stared back at Jill with tired and haunted eyes, it was quite obvious that she knew exactly what her friend had said, she only nodded while brushing her white hair aside, "You were right Jill I shouldn't have left, due to my actions I put another life at risk but because I broke away we don't have to worry about Alice troubling us for a long time now" 

"What do mean by that?" then Jill paused. "Oh geeze you didn't…" 

"I didn't kill Alice, just stopped her from following us by taking away the one thing that she uses to keep track of us out here" Alyssa replied wearily as she walked around the back of the truck. 

Carlos, who had been silent for the entire conversation finally found his voice, "You're not too welcoming Jill, Alyssa's been through hell and back and the most you can say to her is question what she did? She probably saved this entire convoy from ending up as rotting corpses in the desert and first thing you do is get up the poor kid for helping?" 

Jill turned sharply towards Carlos and gave him a dirty look, "What else was I supposed to do give Alyssa encouragement? We're all fair game out here for our known enemies or worse, the quicker we find these goddamn labs the better" 

Nathaniel suddenly approached the pair only this time he had an expression of worry over his face while his head went from side to side as though he was looking for something. When glancing up at Jill and Carlos his face appeared very pale and ghostly in the fading lights, "Kirsty" he said softly "Have either one of you seen my daughter since we pulled up?" 

When seeing the pair both puzzled and confused Nathaniel silently swore while exhaling deeply, "She wasn't in the back when we stopped here but I could've sworn that she was in there this morning" 

"We'll both help look for her" Jill offered, "Kirsty can't have gone far"

Nathaniel only pumped his shotgun while staring out across the desert, "I swear that if that psychotic bitch that has been following this convoy has taken my Kirsty I'll pump that freak so full of lead…" 

A small face suddenly appeared from the open door of the truck, "Daddy?" the little timid voice called out. 

Letting out a small cry of triumph Nathaniel rushed past Jill and Carlos and scooped her out of the truck while hugging her tightly, "Oh Kirsty you had me so worried" he then backed slowly away from the vehicle while still holding onto his daughter, "This is your truck right?" 

Before Jill or Carlos could answer Kirsty put her hand over her father's chest, "Don't be angry daddy I hid in there when I playing with Timmy" 

"You were in there the whole time?"

Kirsty nodded, "Alyssa saved me from the scary sand lady and then she wrecked the scary lady's bike" she smiled. "Just like a super hero" 

"Don't you run off like that again understand? You stay where I can see you from now on" Nathaniel said to his daughter as he walked off, going past Jill and Carlos he didn't even stop to acknowledge them as he held Kirsty tightly as though she was going to run away while talking softly to her. 

The whole encounter had left Jill confused and as she went to take a step forward Carlos grabbed her by the arm gently. 

"Jill why don't you just leave Alyssa for the moment, I think she's had enough to deal with for one day" 

Jill only sighed and stopped her advance, "You know I wasn't really angry with Alyssa when she came back I was just worried that's all, I kept thinking that if she did come back she'd be…different" 

Placing a comforting hand on Jill's shoulder Carlos slowly turned her towards him, "But Alyssa didn't change she's just tired I'm sure that when the time is right she'll tell us, just not now" taking Jill by the hand he smiled, "Come on let's give Alyssa some peace as we mingle with the other members of this convoy, if they'll have us" 

"By now they'll all probably think we're a bunch of kidnappers or something" Jill joked. 

"Or something sounds pretty good to me as long as its not pirates I was always scared of them as a kid" Carlos replied as they both started for the brightly lit centre of the convoy.

* * *

Behind the back of the armoured truck was quiet, only the dull roar of the convoy's passengers floated by and quickly vanished. Yet the entire setting was very peaceful and calming to Alyssa after what she'd been through. _I was lucky this time to escape but soon my luck will run out_ she thought while gazing over the darkened landscape. Staring at the sand surrounding the convoy suddenly gave her an idea and as she slowly walked away from the truck small bursts of blue flames began to curl up her arms. 

Flicking her left hand downwards caused the flames to spread out across the sands, crackling faintly as electricity danced inside of them. As the flames hit the ground they suddenly vanished leaving no evidence to tell of their sudden appearance. As Alyssa approached the place where the flames had landed she noticed that the sand had now turned into hard glass. 

Carefully picking up the rapidly cooling chunk of melted sand Alyssa threw it as hard as she could into the darkness before raising both her hands and began to make sweeping motions. A small wall of blue flames suddenly rose up and encircled Alyssa while sparks danced amongst the fire like tiny ballerinas. Seeing this only made her smile and she glanced up towards the sky in an almost defiant act, Alyssa felt free for the first time in months. _Be very frightened, be very afraid soon we'll see each other again_ she thought while staring skyward. Although Alyssa never meant her silent challenge for anyone in particular she knew it was for her tormentors, two people that had made her life a living hell for sixteen long years. 

Smiling to herself Alyssa allowed the wall of flames to die down as she clenched her right hand. The next time the urges or commands came she'd be ready for them. 


	25. Stealing from The Gauntlet

_Major interruptions that are a combination of work, holidays and university have prevented me from putting any new chapters up, don't fret I didn't leave you all hanging though, many thanks to LongLiveOlivera4Eva for leaving a review and always to Alice it' s Raining for your never ending support and comments! _

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four**

* * *

As the sun slowly went down and the blazing heat faded, the night began to claim the desert.

The pitch black surroundings meant nothing to Alice as she trudged through the cooling sands. All of her senses were on alert, searching for any threats. But coming across other hostile people was a low priority for Alice. Minus her Harley made tracking the convoy harder, not that she could easily see where the line of armoured vehicles had been.

Before the sun had set Alice had drifted away from the tire tracks in the sand and took to the dunes, climbing them with an almost childish amusement. Twice during the day the 'sight hack' was enabled, her vision would turn to a light shade of blue and mission objectives would scroll across as through to remind Alice her true reason for being out there. _Not that I need to be reminded, the Winterstone bitch is the reason I've slowed down!_ Alice thought angrily. She couldn't believe how the little lab brat and her two pets had not only lost her in the maze of tunnels but also made sure she'd be stranded for a long time. _Still I would've done the same thing to my enemy if not a little more drastic_.

Thinking about Alyssa's actions made Alice smile. Despite the girl denying her 'killer instinct' she had no choice when it could determine survival or death. _So much potential yet it's wasted because the lab brat wants to play hero! She should know the risks in revealing such power but Alyssa's always been weak, get her away from her protective beasts and rebel friends and she easily falls_.

The sound of loud laughter that drifted up from behind a nearby sand dune shattered Alice's thoughts and made her stop. Quickly striding up the hill of sand Alice first thought that she'd somehow caught up with the convoy though when peering down at the small group of men gathered around a roaring bonfire she felt mildly disappointed. _They wouldn't stop anyway; the carriers or any other desert dweller would slaughter them_ Alice thought as she eyed the group below her. Before leaving she'd heard a rumour floating about which mentioned a group of creatures known as the Infected though seeming as Alice had never seen any living members to suggest that were a threat she easily dismissed such gabble.

Parked away from the men was an assortment of vehicles that were covered in metal spikes and large guns. But the one thing that caught Alice's attention were the three Harley Davidsons sitting next to a modified mini tank. The motorbikes were the only vehicles that had been left the way they were save for the single black bike having a flag sticking out of the back with a picture of a clenched gloved fist.

Seeing the bikes made Alice grin and she slowly slid down the sand dune. Like some kind of desert wraith Alice darted across the darkened terrain. When entering the camp her senses were bombarded with a variety of scents that were all unbearable, different kinds of alcohol, urine, sweat and burnt rubber. Passing by the spiked van the door it suddenly flew open and a man stepped out chuckling to himself while pulling on a pair of filthy jeans.

"Don't worry babe plenty of Big Mick coming your way later but first I gotta take a piss" the man said gruffly.

Under normal circumstances Alice would've avoided any contact when entering an enemy establishment so as not to raise the alarm to any patrolling sentries but already her anger was at it's highest point and needed to be quelled. Not to mention that Big Mick was coming straight towards where she was hiding and smelt just as bad as he acted.

"Hey whoa what the…?" Big Mick spluttered before Alice darted out from the shadows, grabbed him by the throat and started to squeeze tightly.

As Big Mick's neck bones began to break, his body began to twitch in a last death spasm. Soon the shaking stopped and dropping the greasy corpse to the ground Alice peered into the van to see a half naked girl gagged and tied to a bed. The girl only stared back at Alice with frightened eyes, who knew how much torment she'd had to endure while Big Mick had been alive. The girl however wasn't her prime objective so she walked past the van ignoring the muffled screams. Glancing towards the campfire she saw the other occupants still seated around it, the kill had so far gone unnoticed and hopefully it would stay like that.

Locating the three bikes Alice approached them and circled around the trio. She already knew the black bike would do, it had an interesting crossbow on the front handle bars as an accessory, but her smile faded when seeing there were no keys in any of the bike's ignition. Hearing the jingling of metal made Alice turn around to see a fat heavily muscled man standing a few feet away holding a set of keys.

"Lookin for these darlin'?" he drawled while shaking the keys again. "I don't know where the hell you came from but no one steals from The Gauntlet, tell you what though instead of riding a machine how about you go for a ride on something that'll really get your blood pumping"

By now Alice was not just mildly annoyed that she had been interrupted she was extremely pissed off, she had no time to play with twisted biker perverts and the more time wasted here the further the convoy was getting away.

The man was suddenly joined by two other men who stumbled out of the darkness, one clutching a beer can while his partner was engrossed in scratching under his hairy armpit.

"Hey Ruddy Ron ya fat shit gimme some time with the toy you said I could have her after Big Mick was done" Beer Holder shouted out.

Arm Pit Scratcher only stared back at Alice with his mouth open and elbowed Beer Holder, "Oi check out what Ron's been keepin' from us, this one's got better tits then the other we caught"

As the two drunks stumbled forward Alice quickly pulled out her shotgun and levelled it at the men causing them to stop. She then made eye contact with Ron and held out her left hand, "The keys if you please, I won't ask you again"

Ron only laughed loudly and shoved the two drunks aside, "Well, well the kitten has claws but don't think you can order me around, bet you've never fired that thing before"

Before Alice could answer several other dirty-faced men ran up to Ron breathing heavily.

"Ron its Big Mick! Someone killed him, his face is blue and his eyes are poppin' out of his head!" one man cried out.

Alice only laughed causing the entire group to look up, "That was only for starters unless you boys want to give me a real challenge"

Ron's face turned a bright shade of red as he jabbed a thick sausage like index finger towards Alice, "Kill that bitch, gut her and bring me her head!"

Beer Holder and Arm Pit Scratcher had found their feet again and resumed their ogling while chuckling quietly to themselves as each took out a small switchblade. They were in fact the first to go, the blast fired from the shotgun catching them both, they fell back, splattering blood and shredded internal organs onto the sand.

One man came towards her with a large jagged knife in his mouth but a simple 'suggestion' from Alice caused the man to fall back, the thick blade now embedded deep within his skull.

Taking out her twin blades Alice moved too fast for the fat gang members to even notice as she cut, stabbed and sliced through arms, legs and any other obstacle that obscured her vision. When the last body fell back she was disappointed that there hadn't been any more victims for her swords. It hadn't even occurred to Alice that her arms, face and trench coat were now drenched in blood from her slain enemies.

Turning back towards the bikes she heard someone gasp. Snapping back to the sound Alice saw Ron attempting to stand on an injured knee, sometime during the chaos he'd been cut by one of the swords. Now he stared back towards a gore-splattered horror that had cut his entire gang to ribbons in a matter of minutes. Yet Ron still had his hunting knife and slowly taking it out from it's small hidden scabbard was preparing to make one final stand.

Sensing the movement Alice quickly snapped the flagpole from the black Harley and hurled it towards Ron. The pointed end tore straight through the fat man's chest causing him to fall back onto the sand. Walking around the mass of contorted bodies Alice approached Ron and plucked the bloodstained keys from his twitching hands, going through the large key chain she wrenched a single key loose before tossing the rest aside. Ron tried to speak but a slow dribble of blood came out instead.

"You should have given me the keys when I asked Ron instead of trying to kill me" Alice taunted. She then leaned in closer, "I hope the crows come in and peck out your eyes, I think you'd enjoy that" turning away Alice smiled to herself and left the dying Ron as she made her way towards the spiked van. Ignoring the girl's screams and weak struggles Alice managed to cut the girl loose from the bed. Without saying a word she then left the half naked girl alone and strode back outside.

Hearing soft footsteps behind her made Alice realize that the girl had followed her and for a brief moment contemplated shooting her but pushed the thought aside. Turning back to watch the girl pick her way across the campsite with her wide eyes and quiet sobbing noises reminded Alice of a puppy that had been separated from it's mother. The girl looked up towards Alice and tried to speak but only managed to utter a pathetic little squeak. Again her hand went to the Uzi on her left side but she resisted the urge. _No use wasting bullets on unnecessary bodies might need them later, anyway she's as good as dead out here, the Infected will soon pick up her scent_.

Approaching the black Harley, Alice took out the single key and put it into the ignition. Taking one last look at the girl who was now in a huddled heap on the ground Alice started the engine and sped out of the camp. She had a lot of distance to cover and no time to waste.


	26. Griffin's Proposal

**Chapter Twenty Five**

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Slowly the girl came into view as she nervously walked down the hallway. She suddenly stopped and began to back away as three large Rottweilers approached. Without even hesitating all three dogs charged forward easily knocking the girl to the floor. Crowding around the kicking and screaming girl the animals began to tear her apart. Dark blood began to flow onto the white floor as the body started to twitch uncontrollably.

Turning away from what the screen had shown him, Griffin sighed. This time was a definite failure, as the clone had shown no sign of any ability whatsoever. _Not to mention she allowed the three Interceptors to attack first, a dangerous mistake that proved costly_ he thought.

The Interceptors were the only living weapons in the testing grounds. Originally they had been test subjects for small scale infection experiments with the T-virus, however when the animals started to show aggressive traits and stronger tissue regeneration the executives in the science division intervened and allowed the creatures to be a combatant for the clones throughout the test areas. However for some ridiculous reason the higher ups in Umbrella had assumed all the clones would be just like the original Alyssa and went ahead in placing robotic foes in the areas as well to give them a challenge and to face off against non organic opponents.

Just thinking about the robots made Griffin clench his right hand into a fist. Because of the mechanical enemies the majority of the specimens didn't even make it past the first stage. Griffin had managed to save a few of the clones that had suffered tremendous damage but they were destined to be put back in statis and their usefulness in ever helping him find the link that he was missing decreased dramatically. Switching off the screen Griffin contemplated in activating another clone but shook his head. _The machines have had enough fodder for today_ he thought _perhaps tomorrow_.

Hearing the sliding doors to the lab open Griffin slowly spun around in his chair expecting a nervous Henry to approach him gripping a clipboard with a report Griffin had asked him for almost an hour ago. Instead a man with pale skin, short black hair wearing an equally dark business suit slowly emerged from the gloom.

Griffin only acknowledged the man with a nod while smiling, "Thomas, what brings you to my little hideaway?"

Thomas stiffly stood a few feet away from Griffin, "I was sent here on behalf of the committee, your proposal regarding Specimen 8940 raised a few eyebrows with the higher ups"

Griffin sneered at the remark, "I was told an actual member would be coming to see me face to face to discuss any problems but instead they send the messenger service"

"The committee demands results from you doctor, that was the whole reason you were assigned to the Sphere complexes"

"Oh Thomas I thought you knew me better then that, all I require is in that proposal and unless you came here to give me the green light on it I bid you good day" Griffin replied in a sarcastic tone as he turned his back on Thomas.

"Why are the clones of the Winterstone girl failing?" Thomas suddenly asked.

The question caught Griffin's attention and he slowly spun around to face Thomas while grinning, "My, my what an inquisitive mind we have, did the committee ask you to say that or was that one from your own stock?"

"A little of each to be more precise, the progress regarding the copies of the girl is something the committee wants to know also why the corporation's single most valuable asset was 'freed' in a raid conducted by the rebels several weeks ago in the Glasshouse Mountains facility"

Griffin picked up a small remote while pretending to be shocked at what was said, "You're cheating Thomas I asked you only one question and get bombarded by several of yours, perhaps we should stick to the first one you asked hmmm?"

Thomas only stood to one side as Griffin got up from the chair and walked towards several screens that were on a large wall. Pressing a button on the remote he turned all the screens on. Approaching a silver microphone beside the screens Griffin spoke into it, "Run all final data gatherings from Batch A through to E"

Video footage of the clones in the testing part of the facility slowly flashed across the screens. At first it only showed the clones waking up at various locations and exploring their surroundings. The footage was about to take a dramatic change. In a series of brief segments like a teaser trailer at the movies the footage showed the clones suffering their death sentences. One was sliced to pieces by a net of laser beams, the bloodied chunks of flesh toppling to the ground. A spear robot impaled another while a thin blade that appeared out of the wall decapitated a further unlucky clone.

Seeing Thomas' disgust and the fact it seemed he almost wanted to vomit Griffin switched the screens off.

"I think you'll agree that my proposal is quite simple, without the original Alyssa Winterstone the copies are only shadows of the specimen hence the lack of developments with them. We both know that her blood is the key to solving this mystery as are any results that are gathered in the field," Griffin explained as he paced back and forth. "Due to the girl's non aggressive nature extracting data through simulated tests while at any of the facilities has proved fruitless however with the introduction of the neural implant procedure and setting her loose into the big wide world will prove beneficial in the long run, are you with me so far Thomas?"

Finding his voice again Thomas spoke, "The implant only gives you a general location which is almost useless, what if you lose track of her?"

Hearing this Griffin only smiled thinly, "Ah once again you've underestimated me Thomas, a shame on your part, Alyssa is not out there in an unknown location as I have the second best thing then those expensive tracking satellites"

Crossing the room Griffin typed a few commands into a computer, which brought up a blue tinged screen. The view appeared to be from a very shaky camera as it bounced forward. Desert could be seen from all around the camera while not too far away was the back of a rust covered armoured bus that was trailing dust behind it.

"You see Thomas there is always another way around a situation, the main target may give off a generalized signal but Project Alice can give me an exact location no matter where she is, so you shouldn't trouble yourself over the Winterstone girl's whereabouts, Alice will make sure she doesn't stray too far"

Thomas only nodded and took a deep breath, "The committee mentioned you had Project Alice following the civilians but how do you know that when getting close to the target the specimen won't try and eliminate their equal? Previous documented encounters between both subjects in the past has proved very…unpredictable"

Switching off the screen Griffin sat back down in the chair and folded his arms while glancing up at Thomas, "Your point being?"

Thomas guested towards the computer screen, "She can't be monitored all the time, Alyssa Winterstone is a valuable individual, critical to the research of this corporation, what if your precious Project Alice decides to kill the girl before you reach her! Too much is at risk here surely you see it as well?"

Griffin only shook his head while pretending to look sad, "Your lack of faith in what I do down here is troubling Thomas, you needn't worry I've put a system of alerts and commands in place that will cause an emergency shut down should Alice engage in direct combat with Alyssa, there is one small set back"

"Which is?"

"In order for me to shut down Project Alice if she gets out of control it must be first approved in that proposal I sent to the directors"

Thomas seemed confused by what was said, "I was under the assumption that the only request was that once Alyssa has been retrieved she would be transported back to S-1 for blood and DNA analysis there was nothing mentioned about shutting down Alice"

"You assumed wrong then my research indicates that the blood sample must be taken while the subject is alive and even then if not properly stored the cells will disintegrate rendering the sample useless" Griffin pointed out. "How am I meant to take a blood sample for analysis if the specimen arrives in a body bag? Unless you want that civilian convoy followed by one of our ariel units which sticks out more then a single ground operative my suggestion is you accept my proposal unless the committee has to hold your hand while you make that decision"

Cringing slightly at the outburst Thomas blinked in an owl like fashion before finding the will to speak again, "This is Umbrella's property we're talking about, if both specimens are lost…"

"Yes or no Thomas that is all I need, not some prehearsed explanation, it only takes a few minutes to activate the commands and who knows it may not be necessary to use them, they're only there as a precaution"

Thomas only swallowed hard, "My orders by the committee were that if not enough evidence was given then I had the power to refuse the stated proposal on their behalf but judging from what I've seen under the circumstances then your proposal is accepted"

Hearing this Griffin grinned and let out a little sigh, "I knew you could be swayed Thomas you've made me a very happy man but in regards to Project Alice…"

Now it was Thomas' turn to cut Griffin off, "Specimen 8940's recapture is of highest priority, the director has told me to tell you by any means necessary with the exception that Alyssa is brought back alive"

"Consider it done" Griffin replied nodding.

Thomas had slipped back into his polished expressionless persona and nodded towards Griffin before turning and walking back through the lab's sliding doors.

Griffin waited for a few moments before switching on the computer screen, "Arrogant untrusting individual" he muttered. "Soon I'll no longer need stuffed suits giving me orders"

_Soon I'll have all the power I need and no one will stop me_ he thought.

As the monitor cast an eerie light over the grinning face of Griffin, he began to input the set of commands.

* * *

When sighting the back end of the convoy the gap between the bike and the armoured bus started to close. A few minutes after seeing the bus in the distance and getting close enough to notice the bobbing heads in the back window Alice felt the familiar cold sensation that signalled that no longer was she the only one looking at the vehicle. _Just in time had it been left a few hours longer…_

Glancing briefly up at the sky she realized that Griffin was easily telling her to get a move on with her current mission. After securing the bike Alice had travelled for the entire night and into the early morning in the vain hope that she'd eventually run into the convoy and her vicious persistence had finally paid off. Faintly she could sense Alyssa but she was too far away to do anything lethal and coming any closer to the vehicles would cause a reaction from the drivers.

After a few moments her vision returned back to normal and Alice smiled thinly as she pulled away from the bus giving the vehicles a wide berth as she took to the surrounding sand dunes. There would come a time in the not too distinct future that would allow Alice to make herself known to both enemies and prey. _But for the moment let them have their peace, they'll need to reflect on it later on_.


	27. A Hidden Enemy helps out

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The next two chapters don't let up on the action, enemies and lastly the violence which I can only say is there for shock value mostly, enjoy these two while you can, more on the way hopefully!

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****Chapter Twenty Six**

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Nathaniel had never kept a grudge or doubted anyone who travelled with him and he'd had a few which bordered on that line but never completely over it. Alyssa however was a down right mystery and her actions throughout the entire trip were as confusing and mysterious as her origins. When Jill and Carlos had appeared in the small gathering after Alyssa had returned they hardly said anything about it even when he questioned them. _Something's very odd with that girl _Nathaniel thought as he scanned the darkening horizon. Ever since she 'saved' him from becoming another notch on the mysterious female assassin's belt Nathaniel had instantly harboured suspicion towards the girl. From his clouded and confused state on the ground Nathaniel had overheard Alyssa talking to Alice giving her clear instructions to leave the convoy lest she do something drastic. There was even a time before he'd flown backwards where the girl had commanded Alice to let him go. _That damn freak listened to her, but why?_ Glancing over at the sleeping form of his daughter made Nathaniel relax, he couldn't be too harsh on the strange white haired girl, without her the convoy would still be at risk and his daughter would be long gone.

Movement on the horizon suddenly caught his attention and as Nathaniel took his foot off the accelerator he suddenly wished he hadn't.

In the far off distance there was a large group of people that appeared to be shuffling along, limbs hung at broken angles while a few more had to be supported by others. The figures only meant one thing and suddenly the threat of the long lost assassin seemed pleasant compared to the large group of Infected not too far away from the convoy. From experience Nathaniel knew the well named Infected would easily catch up to a fast moving truck and be on the roof in seconds, however the creatures didn't appear to react to slow moving objects and it seemed that none of the vehicles had caught their attention as of yet. Easing off the rig's accelerator he prepared to tell the others to do the same, it was risky to mess around with a large group of Infected but the safety of the convoy and all the passengers came first over any large vehicle. Taking a deep breath and casting one last glance at Kirsty, he began to move forward.

With leaden steps the convoy moved towards the shuffling figures in an effort to not attract any attention.

Nathaniel's voice came through the comm. link, "Everyone take it easy no one shoots unless I say so"

Alyssa peered through the truck's window, "There's something wrong with those people"

Carlos only grinned and kept a firm grip on the wheel, "You think so?"

She suddenly sharply turned to face him and seeing this made Jill stiffen, Alyssa's involuntary movements had proven deadly in the past. "I didn't meant it like that, I meant that some have the T-virus and others don't"

"Surely if there were some virus carriers with these wanderers they'd all be infected" Jill pointed out. "They wouldn't let easy meals walk by"

As the truck passed by a single person Carlos leaned forward then pulled back, "That woman had blisters over her skin, you think it's that rabbit virus Nathaniel mentioned a while back?"

Jill shook her head and picked up the comm. link, "I know what those blisters mean"

pressing down on the large grey button on the side she spoke, "Nathaniel this is Jill, tell everyone to secure all windows and doors and be prepared to step on the gas, these people have radiation sickness"

A few moments later the radio crackled back, "I've never encountered a hot area before how do you even know that these people are sick? They could be nomads and besides we'd be wasting fuel if we suddenly took off" the last part of Nathaniel's reply made Jill realize that he was unsure what these strange apparitions were yet at the same time also pointed to the fact that he'd been in a similar situation involving such beings in the past.

This only made Jill more determined to see her point through, "Damn it Nathaniel listen to me, I've seen stuff like this and it'll only get worse if someone slips up, it takes one spark to start a fire get my drift?"

Suddenly the sound of gunfire caused the SUV in front of the truck to pull to an abrupt stop. Carlos instantly slammed on the breaks causing all three to jerk forward almost slamming into the dashboard.

Seeing this Jill muttered a few curses before turning to Carlos, "Nathaniel's snipers?"

"Could have been the kid with the air rifle, who cares we have to clear the way now" Carlos replied shrugging.

Opening the door a tall skinny man wrapped in a tattered shawl lunged towards Carlos yelling while foaming at the mouth. A brief burst from the assault rifle floored the man instantly. Hearing Jill cry out Carlos slid across the front of the nearby SUV and ran towards the shouting voice.

When Alyssa got out of the truck she first checked on Nemesis and Deception. Although both wanted to come out of the back she motioned for both monsters to be quiet. Not that anyone would've heard the roars or growls over the gunfire. Turning away from the truck Alyssa saw that the convoy was completely surrounded. Whatever those things were kept coming in an endless stream from the pitch-black landscape. Walking along the side of the bus Alyssa ran into a trio of Infected. They were too close for her to stop and retrace her steps, but instead of attacking they only stared back with a dull lifeless glance then making a sound that resembled a sneeze slowly shuffled off. The actions of the creatures Nathaniel had dubbed the Infected didn't confuse Alyssa; she knew very well that because of the T/G virus she carried other virus creatures wouldn't attack unless she threatened them.

Hearing nearby gunfire Alyssa darted out in time to see a group of convoy passengers attempting to fend off six advancing Infected. As much as Alyssa hated using guns she had no choice when taking out the slim silver handguns that Jill had given her for the journey. _Besides too late to stop using them now, I've already killed other creatures with them and these Infected are no different_ she thought while walking forward. Picking off two of the Infected caused the remaining four to stop their advance and turn around. The small group of people stared back at Alyssa and for the first time since any stranger had laid eyes on her, hope, not fear, clouded their faces.

Alyssa's reaction was slightly different, she gestured towards the group, "Get somewhere safe ok?"

The Infected had completely forgotten about the small group of easy victims there was other matters to address, a creature similar to what they were had turned against them and redemption was needed. Seeing the creatures advance caused Alyssa to step back. _Shit, I've just been marked and now there's more!_

Hearing the sound of knuckles cracking Alyssa turned slightly to see several other Infected coming towards her. Checking her ammunition in both guns she only sighed, "Just great"

Forming a tight circle they attacked one at a time, which was good in some ways as all Alyssa needed, was a single headshot to bring the creatures down. The bad side was that sooner or later the guns would click dry and she'd have to find an alternate way of disabling her enemies.

A short Infected came towards her, she shot at it and it fell backwards. Another one came running forward howling and drooling like a mad dog. Bam! One less Infected to worry about, this went on for several minutes and between the other bursts of gunfire in the distance and the shouting voices Alyssa didn't hear the empty clicking of both guns. Somehow the closest Infected did and a scrawny looking woman who was bleeding from her eyes and nose began to laugh and creep slowly towards Alyssa. Realizing her weapons were empty Alyssa first groaned and then shoving the guns back in the holsters strapped to her legs assumed a fighting stance.

Glancing up towards the night sky she only hoped that her next set of actions would be of her own decision and not Umbrella's.

* * *

After catching up to the convoy, and realizing they had entered a so-called contaminated zone Alice followed at an even greater distance. The only way she knew that the convoy was still ahead of her was the trail of dust it left. The reason for following further then what was required was simple, hoards of Infected had been 'banished' to this particular area of the desert and Alice wanted to save all of her dwindling ammunition for targets that gave a proper reaction when shot. By the time the convoy had reached the centre of the zone it was already dark and the vehicles slowed to a crawl when encountering a large group of Infected.

A rugged rocky overhang had caught the attention of Alice and after wasting a few precious bullets to put a small group of Infected down she watched the progress of the convoy below her. She knew very well that the people who travelled in the convoy knew of her presence in more ways then one but Alice also knew that the actions the convoy was taking at the present moment would cause a conflict to erupt, already she could sense the Infected were getting restless and longed to express their aggression that was slowly building up inside of them. There was also a chance that the convoy would pass by her hiding spot and hopefully by then a few choice targets would have revealed themselves.

Carefully unhooking the rifle from the Harley's side Alice first positioned it before peering through the sniper scope. The scared face of Kirsty came into the crosshairs but Alice dismissed the young girl as a potential target. Despite Kirsty being the daughter of Nathaniel, the convoy's leader, she drew the line at children, unless given a direct order Alice never intentionally attacked them. Switching her sights to Nathaniel who was driving his large black rig she smiled as her left index finger curled around the rifle's trigger. _Doesn't prevent me from making the kid an orphan_ Alice thought as she watched Nathaniel talk into a comm. link.

There suddenly came a loud burst of gunfire from the vehicle behind the armoured petrol tanker, someone it seemed had gotten a case of itchy trigger finger. All the vehicles pulled to a halt and everyone rushed out, whether they were armed or not was a whole different matter though.

Being the leader of the convoy Nathaniel had decided to pitch in and after turning to Kirsty and talking to her sprang from the truck in time to blast a nearby Infected away in a burst of red with his shotgun.

Mildly frustrated that her chosen target had slipped out of the crosshairs Alice continued to watch the skirmish between the Infected and armed convoy members unfold. Easily becoming bored when seeing the second victim fall to the savage Infected she saw something else other then the heavy bloodshed that caught her attention. Alyssa had come to the aid of a small group then decided to go all commando on the advancing gang of Infected that were slowly increasing in numbers.

Alice watched on in fascination as Alyssa took out each approaching Infected with perfect headshots, the bullet never missing its target. Soon however the guns clicked dry and the Infected began to close in around her appearing to sense the sudden weakness in their prey. Alice knew for a fact that the Infected wouldn't kill Alyssa or give her whatever mutant strain they carried, as she was similar to what they were. However, there was still the off chance that the creatures would badly wound Alyssa putting her out of commission for a few days. Despite Alyssa possessing superhuman abilities they were useless if too many enemies in an enclosed space overwhelmed her.

As hard as it was to not simply sit there and watch Alyssa be torn apart by ravenous Infected, to meet up with the girl again, which would be very soon, Alice needed her awake and able to speak. _Can't believe I'm about to do this for the little lab brat, after all she's the reason I was stranded out here in the first place!_ Alice thought as she walked towards her Harley. _I'll make her think I was only here for an easy kill but was interrupted that'll stop her curious mind from asking too many questions_.

Gunning the bike's engine Alice then began a downward decent and towards her rival.

* * *

The creepy insane laughing woman was the first to go flying backwards. Next was a man who was constantly drooling. Another only had half a face.

Alyssa really didn't have time to find any distinguishing features on her enemies she only wanted to break free of the circle the Infected had created, she was starting to feel like a boxer in a ring being forcefully spurred on to fight any challenger who stepped forward from the decaying snarling masses.

A throbbing powerful engine sounded off not too far away from where Alyssa was and this caused her to glance up towards the sound. She knew very well what that engine belonged to and could only hope that she was the first stop the rider of the bike had made. The sound distraction had caused Alyssa to be suddenly caught off guard from a large fat Infected that slammed into her with an excessive amount of force. As she fell to the ground the fat Infected and several others descended downwards howling in triumph. Pushing them aside was a fruitless task as the number of creatures that had gathered around her was too many to deal with.

Suddenly the nearest Infected fell back, blood gushing from their throats. The remaining Infected then parted to allow a figure wearing a long sand coloured trench coat carrying two bloodstained swords to step forward. Alyssa only glanced up from where she lay into the icy blue eyes of Alice.

Seeing how Alyssa was in her current condition Alice only smirked as she walked towards the girl. Two more Infected suddenly leapt up in front of her. Not even hesitating Alice stabbed both through the chest and ripped the swords out with such force the pair flew backwards. When finally reaching Alyssa she was just starting to sit up.

Alice grinned eerily at Alyssa, "You're starting to slip Alyssa, luckily for you I needed a decent target to dispose of and these Infected will suffice for the moment"

Before Alyssa could say or do anything the Infected suddenly regrouped and surrounded the pair, slowly advancing towards them growling and snarling. Ignoring the threat of the Infected and the unexpected arrival of Alice, Alyssa eyeballed the Uzi strapped to Alice's left leg. _She carries her guns in the same place as I do_ she thought shivering _it's like we both have similar ideas including how to carry our weapons_. Pushing aside her fears Alyssa quickly took the weapon from its holster and pointed it at the closing Infected.

Alice had felt the weapon being removed and glared down towards Alyssa, "What do you plan to do with that?"

Alyssa only smiled and slowly stood up, "First part of my plan"

As the large group of Infected shuffled slowly towards the pair Alyssa bounded forward with the gun raised. At first it seemed that Alyssa would shoot the Infected during her mad dash but she suddenly dropped to the ground and slid past the bewildered creatures. Quickly leaping back up Alyssa fired a short burst at the Infected, which easily cut them down, but she was only getting started. Alyssa was briefly caught off guard by a tall genderless Infected who blocked her kick and uppercut but she wasn't easily fazed by the creature's uncanny reactions.

Spinning around and kicking the Infected in the upper torso that caused it to take several wobbly steps back Alyssa turned to face another enemy in time to feel liquid droplets splash onto her back and shoulders. Carefully turning around she saw the Infected that she had just kicked aside now lying face down on the ground in a pool of blood, a large gaping hole punched clean through it's stomach. Feeling a brief burst of pain in her head Alyssa saw Alice standing a few feet away, she had a shotgun in her hands and coming forward scowled at the girl.

"Never turn your back on an enemy until you know they're dead!" Alice snapped as she walked past Alyssa ignoring her glare after discovering the liquid on her back was blood from the dead Infected. "Maybe you should try killing your enemies a different way, eventually you'll run out of ammunition"

Alyssa didn't reply to the harsh mocking words and only watched as Alice shot several other Infected and then taking out a single sword used it to decapitate a further two more seeming completely oblivious to the dark red blood that sprayed back onto her. Only once did Alice pause to wipe her enemy's blood from her face though appeared to enjoy the 'war paint' she had received from the fallen Infected.

Turning away in disgust from the scenes she'd just witnessed it never crossed her mind that an Infected would be smart enough to creep up behind her. Hearing a noise Alyssa spun around to see a skinny Infected wearing only a torn loincloth around its waist slowly advancing. The creature roared and tried to grab a hold of her with it's long fingered hands but she easily avoided the attack.

Dashing forward Alyssa first kneed the Infected in the stomach and as the creature fell forward she grabbed its head in an iron hold and broke it's neck in one fluid twist. For the first time after performing a devastating attack Alyssa felt calm about it, as though it was something natural she did every day like taking a bath or going for a walk.

Alice had seen Alyssa kill the Infected and noticed how the girl didn't seem repulsed by the fact she had just taken the life of a living being. It was quite the opposite, Alyssa appeared angry and proud that she had disposed of an enemy without assistance. _That's it Alyssa, tap into your abilities it'll be easier later on when we catch up_. She knew the main reason that Griffin had sent her out into the desert was to not only keep track of Alyssa but also her abilities that would slowly start to emerge. Alyssa had been placed in the ideal testing grounds; she had no choice but to use her virus given powers to survive. _Besides who knows, maybe the lab brat might realize that resistance is useless and be easily convinced to return with me_. Although ordered not to engage in combat with Alyssa, Alice had hoped for a small amount of resistance from the girl when the time came to return, anything to give her an excuse to land a hard blow towards the taunting figure of her rival, even a sharp kick to the ribs would suffice.

The Infected suddenly thinned out and began to vanish into the darkness howling and screaming as they did this.

Alyssa hadn't noticed the creature's retreat or the sound of a few people cheering; she only stared down at her hand that held the single Uzi still warm after it's recent firing.

"It seems you're starting to realize your true potential" Alice spoke up.

Alyssa glanced towards her rival's smirking face refusing to give her any reaction to what had been said.

"To think how far you've come Alyssa, there was once a time when monsters had to fight for you but now it's your turn to kill, felt good didn't it? Don't try and bullshit me I saw that look on your face"

Not able to take the taunts any longer Alyssa glared back, "I'm not like you Alice and don't ever think for a second I'll ever be convinced to become what you are"

"Then why are you holding one of my guns, which of course you can keep for a little while but I'll eventually need it back"

Holding up the Uzi, Alyssa ejected the clip and then threw the empty gun towards Alice, "I already told you I'm neither a puppet or a monster for Umbrella to control so you can go back and tell Griffin I said that myself!"

Picking up the empty gun Alice shrugged, "Weapon or clip it doesn't matter to me but you better start waking up to the fact that you are what you fear Alyssa, monsters can look like people too so don't trouble yourself in denying you aren't one, tonight's little act just proved that point" stepping away from Alyssa, Alice took a few steps before turning slightly away "I'll be watching you Winterstone and when you're ready to leave call out to me and I'll be there, watch the horizon in the morning I think you might like the little surprise I have planned"

Alyssa could only watch on, powerless to stop Alice as she strode towards her newly acquired black Harley. Quickly getting on the bike Alice first gunned the engine, turned to grin and give Alyssa a mocking wave before shooting off into the darkness leaving a cloud of dust behind her.

A soft voice nearby caused Alyssa to turn around though instead of seeing Jill or Carlos she saw the small group she had rescued, one of the members a woman with long black hair and pale skin only nodded towards Alyssa and without a word the entire group disappeared around the side of the bus. The gesture was quite clear, they had been grateful that the mysterious dangerous stranger had come to their rescue however they were still cautious of the lengths she had to take in order to protect them. _Better then nothing I suppose_ Alyssa thought as she glanced down at the sand.

Seeing the black metal casing of the Uzi's ammunition only made Alyssa turn away from it in disgust and slowly make her way towards the large grouping of people. Easily locating Jill and Carlos who appeared tired from the recent ordeal, all three watched on in silence as three bodies covered in blue tarps were placed in unmarked graves.

Jill glanced towards Alyssa, "Two were sisters the other…" pausing she only met Carlos's eyes. "We should probably get going soon in case those things come back"

As Nathaniel started to shovel sand over the bodies the crowd started to break away and return to their separate vehicles, the loss of three more fellow travellers easily felt.

Wordlessly Jill, Carlos and Alyssa all climbed inside the truck and as the engine started up Carlos turned towards Jill.

"We must be close to a Sphere lab if those creatures are massing in greater numbers"

Jill only shook her head, "I had a feeling they weren't Umbrella's doing moreover people who were accidentally exposed, either way when we find these Spheres nothing is going to please me more then seeing them all shut down, I guess I understand what Trent meant about poison destroying the landscape and we're seen plenty of evidence to prove that theory"

"They were virus carriers right Alyssa?" Carlos asked.

Alyssa only stared out of the window and squeezed the handle on the door "She came before"

The remark only caused Jill and Carlos to stare back at Alyssa, due to the comment Carlos narrowly missed smashing into the back of the armoured bus which suddenly grew much closer as it slowed down.

"No way I thought we got rid of Alice, it must've been an illusion," Carlos said softly.

Alyssa continued to grip the handle of the door so hard the plastic started to crack, "I thought so too" she quickly glanced at Jill, fear flashed across her eyes, "Those creatures almost got me but then I heard this engine and Alice was there, she cut them down and prevented me from being eaten she…saved me"

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here, so Alice finds the convoy and a new mode of transport by the looks of things but saving enemies? I find that hard to believe" Jill said trying to stay calm, but it was easily seen that her attempt at bravery was easily falling away.

"Besides the only person she'd save is herself," Carlos pointed out. "Though Alice reappearing only after a day of peace is a bit disturbing"

"I had the feeling that there was more to my rescue then simply being another opponent" Alyssa replied as she returned to staring at the landscape again. "Both of us are the same in a way, we're the only two human virus carriers that never turned into monsters"

"There's a lot of differences between the two of you though, Alice most likely saved you from being a zombie chew toy because her superiors ordered her to that's all, she didn't just come out here for a holiday Griffin told Alice to follow you" Jill pointed out.

"You might be right but still…I sensed something else briefly in Alice when she showed up, it was almost a type of worry when seeing me getting attacked by all of those infected people"

Carlos shook his head, "I guess Nathaniel was right about those Infected in the desert, now all we need are a few of his precious biker gangs to show up and I'll start to believe his yarns"

The brief moment of peace with the group only lasted a few more seconds before Alyssa started to scream and clutch her head. The sudden shriek from the girl caused both Jill and Carlos to cover their ears and cringe, in doing so Carlos let go of the wheel which caused the truck to slam into the back of the armoured bus.

"Alyssa what's the matter?" Jill cried out but Alyssa only turned sharply towards Jill and she could plainly see the bleeding crescents made from the girl's fingernails when she dug them into her forehead.

"The horizon!" Alyssa choked out as she touched her bleeding forehead. "Look ahead"

Jill wasn't so much worried about what Alyssa had said she saw the blood on her hands and suddenly the air inside the truck felt stale. She shifted towards Carlos, "The window, wind them down"

Nathaniel's voice came through the radio making Alyssa cringe away from it as she attempted to wipe the blood from the tips of her fingers, "There's something up ahead on the horizon, everyone slow down"

"Slow down, heck the idiot behind me just slammed into my back" another voice replied, no doubt the driver of the bus that Carlos had clipped when Alyssa started to scream.

"All right Morrie calm down, oh shit it's coming closer" there were a few muttered curses that dropped out into the static. "Damn it, it's a biker!"

Alyssa still had her head in her hands when she spoke in a hushed tone, "We have to go now"

"Uh Jill you're not going to like this" Carlos suddenly said. "I think what's out there is more then just one of Nathaniel's crazed bikers"

Jill didn't even need to see the closing figure on the black Harley clear enough, she knew very well it was Alice who appeared to be holding a single sword as she sped towards the convoy. Snatching up the comm. link she pressed the talk button, "Nathaniel it's Jill, I know what you're thinking but we have to leave right now otherwise we're all dead!"

"That might be the way you do things over there in the states but here we stand and fight, this isn't the first time I've had to deal with hostiles, freaks or not" the crackly reply came. The radio then seemed to have been left on as in the far off reaches beyond the static came the mention of taking out something called the Tumbler.

Alyssa moaned as she held her head while attempting to curl up into a defensive ball, it seemed that whatever Alice was doing to the girl it was working. Jill could only watch helplessly on unable to even give the suffering Alyssa a comforting hug for fear of infection. _It's not right she has to go through so much pain and I just sit by and watch like some kind of sadist!_ She thought in frustration.

By now Alice had grown dangerously close to the convoy and took to darting in between the now still vehicles, every so often she would swing her sword and allow it to scrape the sides of anything it touched, her face a mask of anger. As she zoomed past the truck Carlos moved instinctively out of the road as the blade sliced through the driver's side rear vision mirror severing it from where it was mounted. The loud roar of the passing engine causing more distress to Alyssa as she buried herself into the hard seat.

"Shit, she means business" Carlos remarked. "I guess Alice didn't take lightly to being misled by Alyssa out in the desert"

Further down one of the vehicles extended what appeared to be a single thin piece of metal that resembled a type of wing. When nearing the 'wing' it seemed that Alice would be easily knocked from her bike but instead she leapt up over it and landed back on the moving bike still clutching her single sword. Two more such wings were ejected from the large transport carrier but the fast moving bike easily avoided these. The large metal wings suddenly lowered themselves onto the ground as two forms suddenly darted out and up the ramps.

Still keeping an eye on the trail of dust caused by the bike Jill had noticed the two scared men run out from seemingly nowhere and up the ramps. Being closer to the passenger's side the movement from the blades could be easily seen and she nudged Carlos.

"Something's going on out there," she said while still looking outside.

"Maybe it's Nathaniel's Tumblers or whatever he said would help us" Carlos replied. "We should be out there helping them, this convoy isn't equipped to handle one of Umbrella's strongest bio-weapons"

Beneath the dark fabric covering the transport something large started to emerge just as Alice circled around again, this time loading what appeared to be a large crossbow mounted on the front of the bike.

"I don't think we have to worry about the convoy" Jill remarked. "Looks like they have it all figured out"

As though on cue two large sand coloured vehicles that looked like a cross between a heavily armoured Hummer and military jeep burst from the sides of the carrier and sped down the ramps. Each had a large missile launcher on top while the windows had been 'furnished' with assault rifles. The thick tires on the aptly named Tumblers prevented them from sinking into the sands as the pair split and attempted to corner the bike.

When the command from Nathaniel came to move, over the radio Jill didn't even notice instead she watched on in fearful fascination as the two Tumblers began to duel with the single black Harley and it's rider.

At first sight it seemed that the large bulky vehicles were no match for the smaller more nimble bike however when Alice tried to dart past the pair the one nearest to her fired a single missile that narrowly avoided hitting the bike. Circling the Tumblers it could easily be seen that an unexpected attack had confused Alice and when trying to pull the same technique from a different angle the same result happened. Quickly realizing that her mad dash towards the convoy had been thwarted Alice turned the bike away and started off in the opposite direction which first seemed that she had given up and was ready to leave. However the drivers of both Tumblers soon came to realize that following a 'retreating' enemy would only cause more problems.

Speeding forward the Tumblers nearly crashed into each other as Alice reversed the bike, driving backwards for a few moments before correcting herself and zooming towards Nathaniel's rig, the crossbow aimed at the large vehicle. Too late did the large Tumblers catch up to Alice, who was riding alongside the rig, as she fired a single shot into one of the fuel tank causing a large gush of petrol to flow forth. No sooner had Alice done this before she was 'shoved' aside by one of the Tumblers, which made her veer away from the fleeing convoy.

As both Tumblers now circled around the darting bike one of the mounted assault rifles on the right vehicle turned towards Alice and fired a brief blast with enough force to send her flying from the bike and onto the sand. The bike continued forward for a few feet before flipping onto its side, one of the wheels kicking up a large cloud of dust. While both vehicles drove around the fallen form of Alice it seemed by all accounts the blast from the rifle had been her death sentence but all that was about to change. As the Tumblers slowed down for a closer look at the mysterious attacker, Alice leapt up and fired a blast from her concealed shotgun towards the nearest open window.

Both Tumblers immediately turned away, one spat out a string of bullets towards Alice who only sidestepped them before retaliating with another blast from the shotgun. The vehicles retreated to a safe distance as the convoy slowly dropped out of sight then slowly going backwards turned and left Alice as they went to rejoin with the others.

Watching both the Tumblers retreat Alice only put her right hand to her left arm and as she removed it saw the red liquid of her own blood thinly coat her hand. There had been no sensation of pain when the bullets from the rifle entered her arms and upper torso and Alice knew quite well that there would be no pain when they were removed for she had lost such a feeling a long time ago. Clenching her blood stained fist Alice then shouldered the shotgun and walked slowly back to the grounded Harley, the time that had been given to her would be used wisely to plan a mode of not only attack but also one for extracting her set target.


	28. Timed Departure

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****Chapter Twenty Seven**

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By the time the convoy had pulled up for the night and the Tumblers were safely stored away, another unmarked grave had been dug. It seemed the shotgun blast that had been fired into the nearest vehicle had proven fatal to one of the passengers inside the Tumbler that came the closest to Alice.

While Alyssa recuperated away from the prying eyes of the convoy Jill and Carlos walked through the various parked vehicles on the lookout for Nathaniel. Both had noticed that the leader, although still mentally strong had started to allow the deaths of close friends and passengers to get to him. Such merciless killings were becoming a common occurrence and it was quite obvious that Nathaniel had never experienced such heavy loss despite his job description being a rough as guts character that could be as dangerous and unpredictable as the desert itself.

Looking up when seeing the pair approach Nathaniel attempted to stand strong and tall while brushing either sweat or a tear from his face with a dirt stained hand, "I should've told that son of a bitch to stay put" he muttered. "Now he's gone and gotten himself killed"

It was easy to tell that Nathaniel's murmurings were about the young man who had suffered the horrible fate of being fired on at point blank range with a shotgun. Talk had travelled fast throughout the convoy that the man, Mitchell a close friend of Nathaniel's had, had his brains splattered inside the Tumbler and all over Snake who was driving at the time. Mitchell had taken the full brunt of the blast while the most serious injury Snake had received were a few minor abrasions from the window as it shattered inwards.

"I guess it's my fault in a way," Nathaniel suddenly said. "None of this would have happened if we would've stuck to our usual route instead of making a new one"

Jill snapped towards Nathaniel, "You mean all of this stuff that's been happening is because you decided to take a different path through the desert?"

Nathaniel shrugged as he turned to face Jill, "At first I didn't think it was a big deal, after all our path is well known to many hostiles, when the army opened up this part of the desert I was one of the first few who decided to travel along it, never know what you might find out there the whole place was closed for years I just didn't think there'd be…all of this shit, violent Infected, psychotic killers that refuse to stay dead even after being shot at over and over again, I'm sick and tired of digging graves for people that I hardly know and at the rate we're going this convoy will be a goddamn ghost train by the time we reach Broome"

"But you've had some experience with biker gangs right?" Carlos inquired.

"Try a single gang and even then they were small, it was after I bought those Tumblers and look at the whole good they did, I'm down one man and thanks to your little sword wielding friend I'm down to one petrol tank in my rig"

"But all those stories you always tell are they…?" Jill started to say.

"Nothing but lies, at least the majority, it's what happens when you read too many fairytales eventually reality starts to blur" standing up Nathaniel stretched his arms. "I'm not going to forgive you two for leading a murderer to my convoy but I sure as hell ain't giving into that bitch and her attempted sabotage of my convoy I'd rather kiss a camel's stinking arse then see her take out all of these people"

"Don't worry Nathaniel we'll make sure that Alice doesn't harm anyone else, she might be highly intelligent but push that aside and you have someone with a very short fuse who can be forced to make mistakes if the conditions are right" Jill said.

"Hopefully no one else will suffer, now listen what was said here remains between us, if I hear anyone mention a single thing then I'll know it's you two understand?" Nathaniel replied as he walked slowly off.

Carlos watched as Nathaniel waved the shovel he was carrying towards a group of smoking teens that were standing too close to the petrol tanker, "Well at least we know one thing, that all these encounters are because Nathaniel wanted to make a name for himself by travelling through uncharted territory"

"Still it's not right for Nathaniel to place all that blame on himself, I can see where he's going with all this, he only wanted to try something new and it's cost him, besides I think we can take the blame for Alice killing Mitchell, if we weren't here then he'd still be alive"

"Well it won't happen again because next time that bike appears on the horizon I'll take out the petrol tanks myself, Alice might be strong but if memory serves when Alyssa deep fired her back at Bohle she stayed down for a long time, a few weeks at the most" Carlos remarked as he squeezed his assault rifle.

Jill couldn't help but grin at the comment and when Carlos turned towards her frowning it only caused her to place her left hand over her mouth, covering the smile, "Now I'm going to have to repress a sign I just saw in my mind KFA, Kentucky Fried Alice"

"So you can smile, I thought you'd forgotten how to"

"Things have been a bit serious for that" Jill said as she playfully nudged Carlos. "I guess we better check on the rest of the team and see how they held up"

Carlos only nodded, "First I think we better get some kind of bandage for Alyssa's head, she really dug in deep with her nails"

"I can't believe she did that and didn't feel anything, it must be awful to have something painful done to your body and not be able to properly register it, something like that must make you feel so alien, so unhuman, I kind of overlooked all that but now just recently…" Jill trailed off as she felt her hand grabbed by another, looking upwards she stared back into the brown worried eyes of Carlos.

"Come on" he said softly while leading Jill away.

Jill didn't resist the urge for the first time in a long time she felt safe and comforted by the fact that she was surrounded by a safe barrier of friends and allies.

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Once the headaches from the pain subsided Alyssa slowly climbed down from the front of the truck. She met the eyes of a few passengers who only stared back as they continued onwards to their own destination. Absentmindedly Alyssa put her left hand to the side of her head only to feel the healing scabs from her newest injuries, a few of them came away in her hand and as she brushed her white hair over the remainders Alyssa sensed movement behind her. Turing around quickly she saw it was Kirsty who only smiled back as she approached her.

Watching Kirsty come towards her only made Alyssa sigh and shake her head, she'd thought that after all the girl had been through she'd never want to see the person responsible for such a trauma, let alone smile and act friendly. _Kids are different though they forgive people so easily; they don't hold grudges_ Alyssa thought. Even she had to admit being like that once while back at Bluewater, the men who would come in brandishing empty syringes with the intention of taking blood were as scared as Alyssa was, they were only doing their job, carrying out orders that had been commanded by a barbaric individual.

Kirsty still kept her warm smile while looking up at Alyssa, "Maybe next time"

"Next time?" Alyssa frowned.

"I heard Timmy say that superheros get tested by the bad people they have to fight and then they have this big battle on a roof with their helpers and beat the baddies, I just hope there isn't a scary sand lady where my daddy is taking me after this trip"

Alyssa then kneeled down so she was eye level with Kirsty, "Where's he taking you?"

"To a secret beach, I really wanna see a mermaid and get a lot of pretty shells and make a sandcastle and eat ice cream all day long" Kirsty said in a whispered voice. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone but I think 'cause you're a superhero I can tell you"

"Sounds like you and your daddy will have a great time" Alyssa replied smiling back, she then sensed that there was more to Kirsty's sudden appearance, the girl had wanted to talk to her but she also appeared to want something else, Alyssa then looked directly at Kirsty and at that same moment had a sudden thought of how easy it would be to grab the girl, take her behind one of the vehicles and break her neck, this time the urge was very overpowering but she only shook her head before speaking, "You want to see the giant who saved you?"

Hearing this Kirsty only nodded her eyes growing wide with excitement, "Can I? The giant man saved me from the funny people I wanna see him better, it was all dark and scary before"

As Alyssa held out her hand Kirsty gently grabbed it and smiled at her when she rose, "Come on then but don't tell anyone else about this ok? My helper is kinda like your secret beach, no one really knows about him"

Once again the little girl nodded as she held onto Alyssa's hand while raising her other small hand and pointed upwards with her pinkie finger, "Pinkie promise I'll never tell"

As the pair walked past one of the covered vehicles Alyssa couldn't help but notice a large row of Fireblades, a type of racing motorcycle, secured under the tarp. She glanced down at Kirsty while pointing towards the bikes, "Do you know who they belong to?"

"They're Alvin's, daddy says bikes are dangerous and can kill people" Kirsty replied in a matter of a fact tone.

"You a rider?" a voice behind them called out.

Again the urge came to sharply spin around, take out her guns, which had been mysteriously reloaded and fire on the unknown stranger but Alyssa only pushed the 'trained actions' aside and slowly turned around. The voice turned out to belong to a man who had still retained his boyish features, with light blond hair, fair skin and green eyes. He was dressed the same way that the majority of the convoy passengers were being that he wore ripped jeans and a t-shirt which had a picture of a Harley Davidson on it.

Alyssa shrugged, "Depends on the type of bike really" she gestured over to the Fireblades. "Eight hundred and forty nine cc motor, zero to eighty kilometres in a minute, those bikes are meant to race"

The man pretended to faint as he placed a hand over his chest, "A girl after my own heart, I'm Alvin by the way, these bikes are my hobby, I collect all the rarest models from Blackbirds to Fireblades, they just don't make them like that anymore what with all that new fangled rubbish they put in them"

Seeing the different kinds of bikes had given Alyssa an idea and she only nodded before walking away, "Well nice to have met you Alvin I'll be seeing you around I guess, you won't be leaving the convoy too soon I assume?"

"Nah I'm with this group until we reach Broome then whatever happens there is just fate" Alvin called out as he started to tie down the tarp. "Nice talking to you as well Alyssa"

Hearing her name mentioned Alyssa wanted to stop and ask Alvin how he knew her name, she'd never mentioned it to him during the conversation but Kirsty suddenly pulled her forward forcing Alyssa to continue onwards. _He probably heard it from Jill and Carlos nothing strange about that_ she thought while going towards the truck that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

Walking up to the back doors Alyssa undid the large metal handle and opened one of them, "Wait here for a few minutes ok?" she said to Kirsty while climbing inside. No sooner had she gotten inside the truck did Alyssa poke her head outside and hold out her right hand, "Are you ready?" as Kirsty took her outstretched hand Alyssa pulled the girl inside and half closed the door so that only a thin ray of sunshine came through.

When Nemesis slowly approached Kirsty she didn't even bat an eyelid let alone scream out loud even when the giant knelt down on one knee to be at eye level with her.

"The giant man" Kirsty whispered. "I knew you were real"

"His name is Nemesis" Alyssa said slowly as she glanced towards the monster who only gave her a casual look back, Nemesis knew very well that Kirsty was the one he'd saved almost a week ago, he also knew that the girl wasn't a threat towards Alyssa, himself or Deception.

"Nemesis" Kirsty repeated, she then glanced up towards Alyssa, "You have to be a superhero with a name like that, if he's your helper and all, only heroes have awesome names that sound funny but cool at the same time"

"Nemesis isn't just my helper to fight bad people, he's my friend too, he helps me get better so I don't turn into a sand lady"

Kirsty turned towards Alyssa with what appeared to be shock and Alyssa suddenly thought that she'd gone too far with this. "Heroes are like that in the comic books Timmy has, they could turn into bad people but they don't and I know you won't be a scary sand lady 'cause you're gonna beat her and then you won't be scared anymore, you're strong so you'll win"

Hearing this Alyssa smiled, "That makes two of us then, I hope I win too" out of the corner of her eye she noticed the shadowy form of Deception standing in the far reaches of the truck, the Hunter hadn't caught the attention of Kirsty and with a little luck it'd stay that way, his actions were too unpredictable around people but being the anti-social creature he was Deception avoided all contact with them seeming to sense that a proper trusting relationship could never be struck between the two species.

Suddenly Kirsty broke from Alyssa's side and ran up to the kneeling Nemesis and wrapped her arms around the monster's neck as she gave him a hug, "Thank you Nemesis for saving me, you're a good giant and you better protect Alyssa from that scary sand lady like the superhero helpers ok?"

The unexpected actions caused Alyssa to stiffen, she was quite aware that when an unknown person pulled something like this Nemesis would react and the results were always tragic, instead however the giant did something entirely out of character that even shocked Alyssa. As Kirsty was hugging him, Nemesis raised his left arm and gently wrapped it around the girl's shoulders mimicking what was being done to him. The entire scene, had anyone else from the outside bared witness it, was a combination of gratitude and tenderness between a large monster that had been created to be a weapon and a little innocent girl who only saw a giant from her fairytales that had come to life. Seeing the strange behaviour brought tears to Alyssa's eyes, there were just too many times that Nemesis had been branded as an unstoppable monster, a creation of pure violence and destruction yet because of one child it had allowed such gentle actions from an artificial being to surface. _If only others who wanted to hurt Nemesis could see this, then they'd know he has human emotions just like me and doesn't have to hide them_.

After a few minutes Kirsty then stepped away and rejoined Alyssa as Nemesis slowly stood up. Taking Alyssa's hand Kirsty then led her towards the partly opened doors,

"Thank you for letting me see Nemesis, you're lucky to have a helper like him"

"I guess I am, but remember you can't tell anyone about this" Alyssa said as she opened the door.

Climbing down Kirsty frowned, "Silly I made a pinkie promise not to, if you break that then you gotta eat worms and icky things forever" she then turned and skipped away from the truck singing as she swung her arms.

Alyssa watched Kirsty go and as she felt the hot breath of Nemesis on the back of her neck she only smiled, "You know I have to do this, just can't believe it's the second time"

Hearing a snort and soft growl only caused her to smile, "I'll be ok by myself you'll just have to look after Jill and Carlos while I'm gone, it's me Alice wants so it doesn't make any sense leading others into my mess besides, I'm only going and talking to her what can go wrong?"

She didn't need to hear the return comment from either monster when climbing out and securing the locks on the doors. _Of course heaps of things can go wrong either on the ground or in the sky or have you forgotten about the satellite?_ Instinctively Alyssa glanced up at the sky, her fear of being watched had returned and there was no way of telling if at that exact moment she was being studied by the orbiting eye in space or not. _I'm playing a dangerous game here but I have to test the limits_ she thought while slowly walking towards the covered transport carrier of Alvin's, her mind already racing as it sought to concoct a plan and a plausible explanation for those she would temporarily leave behind when journeying to look for answers that would be provided by a long time enemy.


	29. Meeting at the petrol station

_With the end so close there's no turning back, as you know by now reviews, comments and questions are always welcome _

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Chapter Twenty Eight

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The line of heavily armoured trucks became a tiny line in the distance as Alyssa rode away on the blue Fireblade motorbike she'd 'borrowed' from one of the passengers. She still felt guilty about having to trick Alvin into loaning her the bike for the journey. Thanks to her abilities all it took were a few simple words to command involuntary actions, a few mind blanks here and there and voila, temporary mode of transport. Alyssa rarely used such hidden abilities for they bordered close to what Alice did to her victims but when such a situation called for it Alyssa didn't really have much of a choice, as it was she only briefly told Jill and Carlos where she was going before riding away. Glancing up at the blue cloudless sky Alyssa knew that somewhere orbiting in space was the satellite that was busy tracking her. She knew that Griffin would be constantly watching her being the sick twisted person he was. It was Griffin who had been the main reason for her most recent trip to the Glasshouse Mountains. _Sicko is trying to make me into Alice_ Alyssa thought in disgust_ but he can't control me and that's why I have a computer chip jammed in my brain!_

As Alyssa journeyed deeper into the barren wasteland her thoughts began to drift back to the convoy and her friends. She knew they would be fine for a day; it wasn't like her trip away was permanent. The thought had crossed her mind to just disappear into the desert and become a wanderer. Jill however had convinced Alyssa to stay; regardless of what she was turning into she was needed in the fight against Umbrella.

One of the main reasons behind leaving the convoy temporarily was because of her abilities and involuntary movements. Out in the scorching sands of the outback Alyssa wouldn't be a threat to anyone. She could also let off some steam through her 'powers', which wouldn't result in injury. _I probably won't have an episode now that there's no one around_ Alyssa thought bitterly.

Her episodes had almost proved costly when she almost strangled a young man to death. Although the man had only been a sexual predator when trying to get Alyssa in the back of the armoured bus for 'a good time' he was still a living human being who's death could have been on her hands. It had happened a few more times and whenever it did Alyssa had a bout of actions no longer under her control. Such urges were becoming harder to ignore, which involved thoughts about killing innocent bystanders who through her eyes had been marked as enemies, hence the trip across the sandy desert. She needed to be somewhere away from people and potential victims so that she could attempt to bring the implant's commands under control and at the same time avoid being tempted to do the opposite by a dangerous rival.

The desert wasteland contained nothing out of the ordinary save for a rusted heap that had been a school bus in another life and a few scraggly bushes that poked up from the red sand. It was no surprise that a large broad roofed structure easily stood out in the sunbaked landscape. Seeing the building Alyssa smiled, it appeared abandoned and also the perfect place away from the tracking gaze of the satellite. As she drew closer Alyssa realized the building was an old petrol station complete with bowsers. Pulling into the shaded undercover area she parked the Fireblade beside the small store part of the station and slowly began to explore her surroundings.

The desert had already claimed the black bitumen road leading out of the station, a thin carpeting of sand extended outwards near the rusting bowers. The reason for the derelict station was simple; there was a small A4 size of paper stuck to the window of the store. In big red letters it red: **NO PETROL!! GO AWAY!! **

Peering through the sand blasted windows Alyssa only saw an empty area and a dusty counter. The station had been abandoned for a long time, it was only a forsaken structure that might be chanced upon by other travellers but it would never be intentionally visited ever again.

The loud cry of a bird caused Alyssa to turn sharply towards the noise. Perched on one of the bowsers cleaning its slick black feathers was a single large crow. She could sense that the crow had been infected with the T-virus hence it's size and red rimed eyes. Alyssa could even pick up the faint sound of the bird's tiny heartbeat. The crow only stared back at Alyssa, eyeing her with a higher intelligence. She knew it wouldn't attack her as she was virus carrier too and judging by the tiny strips of bloodied flesh that covered it's large talons meant the bird had fed recently. Despite the fact that the bird was in no mood to seek out it's next easy meal Alyssa still didn't feel right about having the virus crow watching her, she wanted to be left in peace.

Flicking her right hand downward Alyssa clenched it and concentrated. She suddenly raised her hand and pointing at the bowsers fired a small spark towards it. The tiny blue spark hit the metal sign that the bird was sitting on causing it to fly away scattering black features while cawing loudly. Lowering her arm Alyssa watched as the blue flames on the tips of her fingers slowly disappeared. Sighing she turned and stared out across the desert, a feeling of loneliness and sadness engulfed her when seeing the barren landscape. _It's like I'm the only one left alive _she thought.

A strange sensation suddenly came over Alyssa, it was a cold and painful one that started as a headache and became much worse as time went on. She knew very well what that feeling was; they were looking through her eyes again, no doubt to get an idea of where she had disappeared. Alyssa screamed in pain and fell to the ground holding her head, ignoring the fact that she was taking large breath fulls of sand as well. What made it more disturbing was the fact that the blue tinged vision had yet to make an appearance, only the icy cold numbness, which would signal the onset of another 'sight hack' She didn't notice a shadowy figure slowly striding towards her until it was too late.

The painful headaches ceased and a high pitch ringing began. The figure had now crouched down in front of Alyssa as her vision gradually returned to her. The smug face of Alice was no comfort to Alyssa and she instinctively pushed away from her rival.

Seeing this Alice only grinned, "Nice to see you again Alyssa, did you enjoy the show before?"

"What are you doing here?" Alyssa asked coldly. "Did you follow me?"

Alice stood up and shrugged, "You wanted me to come, haven't I said it so many times, just call my name and I'll find you"

Alyssa slowly rose from the sand, never taking her eyes off Alice, "You're a liar"

"Why act so shocked Alyssa? It makes perfect sense that you want to be away from weak individuals who shun you, only now you're starting to realize just how dangerous you can be, those killer instincts can only be repressed for so long"

Alyssa remained silent, Alice was baiting her into a fight but she wasn't going to fall for the trap.

"You came out here to kill something isn't that right?" Alice suddenly spoke up.

"That's none of your business" Alyssa replied, cringing from the high pitch ringing tone in her head. Her right hand formed a fist, "I came out here to be alone"

"I can tell you're lying, you came out here to know what true power is, the abilities you posses are a gift, they're not something you should deny or be afraid of, you're superior to those around you Alyssa, they are nothing but weaklings, must be very frustrating to be around people like that who only view you as threat, as a monster"

Alyssa turned away and took a few steps backwards, "I'm not a cold blooded murderer"

"Oh yes that's right the innocent little Alyssa Winterstone had no choice in killing those soldiers at Bluewater they just stabbed themselves" Alice sneered, seeing the shock on the girl's face she continued. "Don't worry your tiny killing spree went unnoticed but it does prove a point though, you and I are not so different, we have the same abilities, the same instinct to kill"

"Just shut up!"

"No use denying it soon the urges will get so strong you'll snap, hopefully I'll be there to see that, you're nothing more then a ticking time bomb"

"I said stop!" Alyssa cried out as she covered her ears.

Alice didn't listen to Alyssa's pleas and continued with her taunts, "One of Umbrella's little monsters set loose on a bunch of innocent victims and the experiment is almost over"

Ripping the handgun from her left leg holster Alyssa spun around uttering a cry of frustration as she pressed the muzzle of the weapon into Alice's throat, "Enough's enough" she said through gritted teeth.

Alice didn't react to Alyssa's actions and only laughed despite the cold metal that was jammed hard on her voice box, "Once again you amaze me in how far you've come Alyssa, a year ago you wouldn't have been able to do such an act and your anger is rising with each second so what are you waiting for? Pull the trigger, dispatch an enemy agent, you'll never get a chance like this again"

The gun in Alyssa's hand trembled, she could go ahead and shoot one of the people that had made her life a living hell for sixteen long years but she knew if she did then it would only lower her to Alice's level. After a few tense moments Alyssa slowly lowered the gun, she had silently hoped her body would comply with her mind and luckily it did.

Alice only smiled and shook her head, "Disappointing you didn't follow through with your actions, though I knew you'd never have the guts to fire that gun, a shame really a missed opportunity is one to regret later on if there is a later to live for"

Alyssa slid the gun back into its holster, "I'm nowhere like you, when I had to hurt someone it was for a reason, you on the other hand take lives whenever the thought crosses your mind. You're the one that's out of control Alice, I'm free and you aren't, Griffin has you on a leash like an attack dog who'll kill whenever he snaps his fingers, never asking questions just loyally following orders"

Alice suddenly backed away while clenching her fists, her blue eyes flashing with anger. She wanted to take Alyssa down there and then but for some reason her body wouldn't obey the commands given by the brain.

Shrugging off the urge to give a punishing blow to Alyssa, Alice only smiled thinly, "Strong words from a pitiful child, you better be careful yourself Alyssa, I've seen you try and hide what you are, soon you'll slip and reveal your superiority then what will you do? Jill and Carlos may have accepted you but what if the rest of those people find out you're a dangerous infected killer? They'll be scared, most likely a group vote will either try and kill or expel you from their safe little haven because ordinary people don't understand what you are, are you happy that everywhere you go people will fear you?"

Alyssa remained silent, she didn't want to listen to Alice's words, they were all lies, false promises that prompted control over her emotions.

Alice undid the straps to her right Uzi on her leg and levelled it at Alyssa, "Unlike you however I never go soft or miss an opportunity when it comes to easy kills. I'd prefer a shotgun to diable a target but at this range with the automatic it should do a considerable amount of damage"

Lightly Alyssa's hands brushed both of her handguns, if she moved fast enough the first round of bullets could be easily avoided, but she dismissed the thought and decided to try a different approach, "I'd run away so you couldn't get a hit, I know that you've been programmed not to hurt me"

Hearing the last remark caused Alice to grind her teeth. _I'll give you programmed you little smart arse bitch!_

"I wasn't going for a death shot Alyssa just something that will prevent you from moving for a few hours, your knees make perfect targets then you wouldn't be able to skip away" catching sight of Alyssa's worried expression Alice continued "Calling me here was a big mistake, this time neither your pets or rebel friends can help you, a bit of advice, never give your enemy the upper hand it could end up costing you"

Alyssa could only stare helplessly back at the weapon waiting for it to fire, she hadn't taken into consideration the deadly aim that Alice had so frequently demonstrated when it came to taking out fast moving targets. Her trance was broken when hearing a loud caw behind her. Forgetting about the potential danger of being drilled full of holes Alyssa realized it was the same large crow she had scared away earlier. _What does that thing want?_ She thought. Out of the corner of her eye Alyssa saw that Alice had lowered her Uzi a little, her eyes were also focused on the bird.

Seeing the bird again Alyssa suddenly had the urge to shoot it and this time she actually wanted to carry such an action out, it wasn't a command it was her own free will. Her hands fell to her weapons, tightly squeezing both handles Alyssa glared at the crow. The bird only cawed back as if sensing Alyssa's frustration. Hearing a metal snicker made Alyssa switch back into reality and realize that something worse then a virus-ridden crow was in the same vicinity. Half turning she realized that Alice had taken her eyes off the crow and now was staring straight at Alyssa while wearing a smug expression.

"The victim you were looking for?" she asked in a mocking tone. When Alyssa flashed her a dirty look Alice only took a few steps back, "Go on then Alyssa this one's all yours, I wouldn't dream of stepping in front of your line of fire"

Once again Alyssa's gaze fell towards the handguns. _I can't, it's wrong_. Deep down inside a part of her mind wanted to pick up a handgun and shoot the bird, just to see it explode outwards like a bloodied feathered firecracker. Clenching her hands Alyssa took a deep breath. _Now I'm starting to think like a murderer, like…Alice!_

"This is the true reason you came out here correct? Now you're far away from all who would judge you harshly, no one's here so go ahead let your killer instincts out I know you want to, I think you'll find once you let them surface the urges are easy to control, why not make this your first step?"

_Easy to control my ass_ Alyssa thought angrily _I'm not going to become a sadist_. Relaxing her grip on the guns she began to slowly back away still eyeing Alice cautiously.

Lowering the Uzi and putting it away Alice then quickly took out a slim lined black handgun from within her trench coat. For a brief second Alyssa thought that Alice had planned to follow through with her threat of attempted capture but instead she watched as Alice aimed at the crow and pulled the trigger.

Instantly the bird exploded in mass of black feathers and blood just as Alyssa had pictured it in her head.

Spinning the gun around Alice then slid it back into its hidden holster which was closely clipped to her upper torso, "A bit disappointing Alyssa, if you can't bring yourself to kill a bird what's going to happen if you encounter a stronger enemy? They won't stop and think it's wrong to hurt others. Griffin will find you and when he does those abilities and instincts you have are going to be the only things that will keep you alive. It's in both our blood to kill, to be superior, don't think for a second that those people you save respect your actions, the reality is you're a danger to them. Denying what you are is just going to bring more pain; eventually you'll want to be somewhere that allows you to properly exercise your true powers. Already I can sense that you want to be with others who respect and appreciate your abilities"

When seeing the only response she would going get from Alyssa was a piercing glare Alice shrugged, "Your resistance has it's pros and cons, for now I think I'll continue to watch, if you ever want to break away and not waste my time like today you know what to do"

Turning from Alyssa, Alice slowly walked away from the girl. She knew it was a safe act to preform seeming, as Alyssa was too soft to strike an enemy from the back.

Watching Alice stride away Alyssa still kept her fists clenched. Now however both were surrounded by blue flames, which could explain the reason behind Alice's speedy exit. A thought crossed her mind about using them on her fleeing enemy but she disregarded it. _I was lucky this time and I'm not pushing anything_. Sighing Alyssa went back towards her bike; it was time to rejoin the group. She didn't even check to see if Alice was still close by or not as she eased the Fireblade out from the petrol station and onto the sandy landscape, the only thoughts that were on her mind were to return to the convoy. Although the encounter with Alice had seemed to be a waste of time Alyssa now knew that Griffin was getting quite desperate to get her to return to him yet at the same time her return could be dangerous due to the choice phases that Alice had used when 'cautioning' her to continue resisting the commands. _It's almost as though she is warning me of what will follow should I go back to the labs_ Alyssa thought as she stared ahead.

So deep in thought was Alyssa that she didn't realize that out in the open she would be easily spotted by the roaming satellite. When her vision was hacked at the petrol station it was only the cold numbing sensation, nothing could prepare Alyssa for what would soon follow. There was no warning, no cold feeling, only the blue tinted vision that she had come to resent so much which was followed by a high pitch ring similar to whenever Alice was close by.

As the blue gradually took over every other colour Alyssa could see she almost lost control of the bike she was riding. When the noises came, along with the urge to change her current direction Alyssa could no longer take this new mode of powerful persuasion that the implant exerted. With the engine of the Fireblade still running she dipped down low and scooped up a large handful of the grainy sand. Blinking a few times as if to prepare herself, Alyssa then threw the sand in her face so hard that her other hand squeezed the brakes on the bike.

Suddenly her blue tinged world was spinning upside down as Alyssa flew over the handlebars of the labouring bike and straight into the hot sandy earth. For a few moments she only lay on her back looking up at the sky, feeling the hot sun beat down on her skin and the warmth of the desert beneath. None of this seemed to matter to Alyssa when she blinked her eyes now covered in sand, her world had returned to colour and despite the 'eye hack' now seen as a nuisance she had freed herself again from it's grip.

Finding her feet Alyssa used the end of her shirt to clean the sand from her eyes then locating the downed Fireblade easily lifted it up from it's sandy embrace. Giving the bike a quick check over to see if any damage to it had occurred Alyssa then mounted the Fireblade, started the engine and continued on her chosen route, nothing was going to stop her till she found the convoy again and this time leaving it would no longer be an option.


	30. TriSquads Attack!

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**Chapter Twenty Nine**

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Far beneath the blazing sun and scorching sand sat the research complex Sphere 4, last in the series of Umbrella labs. The designated S-4 was moreover used as an observatory then anything else. Only small-scale infection experiments were performed in the various testing rooms.

To Griffin such events were meaningless, he was more or less happy that all four complexes were under his control however it was starting to piss him off every time something went wrong in one of them. Being the head scientist and supervisor it was Griffin's duty to investigate any problem that occurred in the Spheres. Walking down the white steel corridor he entered the main observation room that was used to maintain the orbiting satellites.

Immediately upon entry the boyish faced man in a lab coat stepped forward, "Glad you could get here so fast Dr Griffin"

Griffin only rolled his eyes and sighed, in his opinion S-4 was a useless facility but despite his power or authority in Umbrella he couldn't shut it down, "There better be a good reason for calling me here Paul so what is it, did you lose sight of the target?"

"That's not the half of it sir" a dark skinned woman replied as she turned from her screen. "The convoy being tracked by Project Alice has started to enter the abandoned Tri-Squad testing ground"

Hearing this Griffin walked past Paul and towards the woman. He'd heard about the Tri-Squads but had never expressed interest in the programme. It was all with good reason, only a few months into the project the Tri-Squads were ruled as failures and left to wander around in their 'training facility'

"How far are they away from the area?" Griffin asked.

The woman tapped on the keyboard and bought up a bird's eye view of the desert showing the long line of armoured vehicles while further behind a small dust comet hurtled after them, "They're just on the outer boarder now, do you want to cut them off?"

Griffin only shook his head and turned back to Paul, "Are the Tri-Squads in our implant database?"

"Yes they are but only three remain and have been arranged to be transported to S-2 for examination" Paul replied. "It seems while the other squads deteriorated these last three have reacted to the various radioactive substances in the air and soil causing mutation and a strengthening of skin tissue"

Sitting down at another workstation Griffin turned on the monitor and logged into the system, "What is the status of all three squads?"

"They're all currently on the default guard mode, they'll react to any movement and shoot at any intruder that crosses into their training grounds" the woman replied. She then glanced at the screen again and turned back towards Griffin, worry flashed across her face, "The convoy just passed the safe zone, in a few minutes they'll all be in firing range and so will Project Alice"

Typing in a few commands on the keyboard Griffin brought up a blue screen clearly showing dust covered vehicles. In putting a further set of commands he then shut the screen and monitor off. "Alice is intelligent to know when to back off, besides she's not my main concern at the moment, what I've planned she only needs to observe. The reason for sending Alice out there was to gather data from a far more interesting specimen"

Paul suddenly stepped forward, clearly distressed at what he had just heard, "But sir those remaining squads are meant to be…"

"Those creature still have some use in helping us gather data" Griffin said sharply cutting Paul off. Turning back to the woman he spoke, "Wait until the sniper squad have picked off at least three members of the convoy then have them switch from their current mode of wide spread of attack to just a single target"

The woman only nodded and continued to watch the screen.

Walking towards the door Paul quickly stopped Griffin leaving by standing in front of him, "You're wanting to waste valuable test subjects on the rebels?"

Griffin only smiled when hearing this, "When did I say anything about those criminals being the target?"

Paul seemed puzzled and frowned, "Then who will the squads be targeting?"

Sidestepping around Paul, Griffin reached for the doorknob, "When three members of that convoy die contact me immediately"

Walking back down the concrete steel corridor Griffin turned towards the research area. Although it was a shame to let specimens like the Tri-Squads be destroyed it would all be worthwhile once the video feeds were collected. _Sometimes sacrifices have to made in order to progress to the next step_ Griffin thought to himself. _Perhaps the genetic riddle of the ultimate bio-weapon will be finally brought to light. Soon I shall have my army and nothing shall ever stand in my way. It's all a matter of seeing what the original does and then I'll know what the copies lack_.

* * *

As the group of vehicles bounced across the rocky sandy terrain Jill only stared out the side window at the bright landscape.

"Penny for your thoughts Jill?" Carlos suddenly spoke up.

Snapping out of the hypnotic trance the landscape had over her, Jill turned towards Carlos and sighed, "I was thinking about where Alyssa was"

Before Carlos could reply Jill heard a soft growl behind her. Glancing towards the small mesh window behind the seats Jill saw the worried green eyes of Nemesis. Lightly touching the small window with her right hand she felt the warm breath of the monster.

"Looks like you're not the one worried about Alyssa" Carlos remarked.

As if to agree with what was said Nemesis growled back, this time slightly louder. Jill couldn't blame the giant for acting like he was, Nemesis always followed Alyssa everywhere and even if both were separated it wasn't for an extended amount of time. _Or maybe the worry is…_

Jill then turned and voiced the rest of her thought, "Damn, it's not the end of the month already, is that what you're upset about Humble Giant?"

Nemesis growled out a deep wavering "No" then looking straight at Jill replied, "Soon" before backing away from the window.

Looking towards Carlos again Jill exhaled softly, "I hope nothing bad happened to Alyssa, this is going onto day two and still no sign of her, I'm almost as worried as Nemesis"

Carlos only tightly gripped the wheel, "You don' think that Alyssa's turned? She said that she was going into the desert to find some answers before leaving"

"I refuse to believe that, Alyssa might be growing up but she's a fighter and would never give into that maniac Griffin, besides if Alyssa had converted to Umbrella why is Alice still following us? It seemed a bit disturbing that she disappeared when Alyssa left but now she's back hot on our trail"

"How can you tell? All I see is dust," Carlos said as he glanced through the rear vision mirror.

"Alice is there, she's further back then usual though" Jill replied wearily. "I just hope she hasn't taken out Alyssa so she can't protect the convoy from another mad dash with guns and swords"

As the convoy passed by what appeared to be the remains of a rusted barbed wire fence Jill reached forward and picked up the comm. link, "Nathaniel do you have any idea where we are?"

"Is that you Jill or Camellia?" the crackly voice of Nathaniel asked.

Grumbling to herself Jill replied, "Geeze Nathaniel it's me Jill, couldn't you tell?"

"Guess still I can't, you Americans sound all alike to me, I see some buildings up ahead might be nothing but could mean…"

Nathaniel was suddenly cut off as the large petrol rig, two vehicles in front of Jill and Carlos, suddenly veered to the right sharply.

"What the hell?" Carlos said out loud, swerving to avoid clipping the bus.

Jill only gripped the comm. link tighter, concern flashing across her face, "Nathaniel you have to stop, the petrol tanker just fishtailed off course"

The only reply Jill received as Carlos slammed on the brakes was something about snipers shooting out the wheels.

Carlos quickly reached under the seat to get his assault rifle, "Did Nathaniel just say what I think he said?"

Jill put the comm. link back and opened the glove box, taking out her magnum she checked to see if was loaded, "We shouldn't be stopping, if there are snipers out there we've just gone and made ourselves easier targets"

"You don't that it's Alice who's attacking us?"

"Not possible, she's behind the convoy, so unless Alice has the ability to teleport to the front of us then I highly doubt it's her"

"Maybe we're finally going to encounter some of those biker gangs Nathaniel talks so fondly about"

Jill only smiled, "That'd be a change, instead of mutants and zombies it'll only turn out to be regular human beings, should be a walk in the park"

Nathaniel's voice spoke softly through the speakers, "No one go outside, I'm sending Snake and Taser out everyone else stay put"

Moments after Nathaniel had spoken a bullet ricocheted off the small white rotating ariel on Camellia's SUV. Both Jill and Carlos instinctively slid down in their seats so they were no longer in the line of fire. Reaching up towards the handle of the door Jill turned it.

Carlos glanced over at her, "What are you doing?"

"Those snipers can't be that great shots, one of them just fired at the communication wire on Camellia's truck"

"And your point is?"

"I'm just having a quick look, I won't go far, you can stay here if you like"

Carlos shook his head, "No I don't work like that, we go together"

"Nathaniel's going to be pissed" Jill said in a warning/mocking tone.

"All part of the suspense" Carlos replied grinning. "Ready? One…two…three!"

Both opened the doors in unison and running around the left side of the truck almost collided with Taser and Snake. When seeing it was only Jill and Carlos both men lowered their handguns, neither appearing happy to see them.

"You two lovebirds better get back in your truck orders are…" Taser's words were cut off as gunfire peppered the ground near the group causing them to take cover behind the SUV.

Camellia's frightened face peered out at them; she seemed to be pointing back the way they'd all just come from. At first Jill couldn't understand what Camellia was trying to say till she turned and saw Snake lying on his back with a single bullet hole through his head, a small blood splatter now coated the passenger's side door to the SUV while the rest of it pooled under his head.

Taser had also spotted his fallen partner and swore loudly, "God dammit where are those bastards? Cowards are hiding near us somewhere!"

Close by as if to challenge Taser's remark Carlos picked up a noise he knew all too well, the sound of a weapon being reloaded, "They're firing again!" he cried out pushing Taser and Jill forwards.

A few seconds later a bullet hole appeared in the side of the SUV, Camellia dove down towards the floor and nervously glanced up afterwards.

Taser's small radio crackled to life, "Taser, Snake, did you find out who the hell is shooting at us?" Nathaniel asked.

"Bastards took down Snake, shot him clean through the head, now they're playing with us, haven't got a damn clue how many are out there"

"A few seconds ago I saw some movement in front of those buildings in the distance could be nothing but if worse comes to worse Zebra and Giraffe can back you up…hang on what the hell is that?"

There was a clicking noise followed by scratching, Nathaniel it seems had dropped the comm. link, "Shit there's three of them, big tall and freaky walking straight towards us, they kind of look like those things that attacked us earlier only they're dressed in army gear and…crap on toast they have guns… those things have guns!"

Hearing this both Jill and Carlos glanced nervously at each other, they knew what was out there and it was worse then they thought.

* * *

After wandering through the complex Griffin had returned to the main observation room and gradually made his way towards the blue tinted screen. Every so often the screen would flicker, giving evidence to suggest that the 'sight hack' option was enabled.

"How are they doing?" Griffin asked.

"The sniper squad have only been able to pick off one member of the convoy, the few that are out are using the vehicles as cover and it's starting to confuse the snipers" the woman replied. "That is according to Alice's point of view, she's at an angle that allows limited sight"

"I ordered Alice to remain stationary and out of the line of fire, hopefully something interesting will start soon," Griffin said. Then he turned towards Paul and smiled, "And you wanted to call the Tri-Squads back, they're doing an excellent job in keeping that civilian convoy at bay" the remark dripped with sarcasm.

Paul had his arms crossed and was leaning against the wall, "It's still wrong that the remaining squads are sacrificed for an experiment that may never begin"

"Oh come off it Paul, I'm doing you a favour, now you don't have to go above ground in the hot sun to retrieve the Tri-Squads"

"But the Tri-Squads are valuable test subjects, not as you see them which are targets for civilians to take shots at" Paul spluttered, "That convoy shouldn't even be there!"

"Sir the other target has just been picked up by Project Alice and they're closing in fast" the woman suddenly spoke up.

Glancing towards the screen Griffin saw the view had switched towards a dust cloud in the distance coming closer. Seeing this he still kept his grin and nodded towards the woman, "Begin setting the Tri-Squads for the single target"

Turning back to Paul, Griffin met his college's gaze; "Soon the time will come that we've all been waiting for, a chance to see the best specimen in action"

"You're not talking about Project Alice? But the orders were to only observe the subject in a wider area not place them in dangerous situations" Paul cried out "What about the committee?"

"I have authorisation from them Paul don't you worry about that, if I hadn't then the hand held camera that's been following the convoy all this time wouldn't be out there" Griffin answered curtly.

The woman swung around in her chair, "I've reprogrammed all three squads to only attack the selected target, from now on all attention will be focused on the subject"

"Excellent, see that all data and video feeds are running, I don't want to miss anything" Griffin ordered.

Slowly the dust cloud came closer towards the convoy. Griffin only watched it with a degree of casualness. _Enjoy your playtime my dear_ he thought _show me your secrets Alyssa, tell me what I'm missing_.

* * *

During the time it took Jill, Carlos and Taser to reach Nathaniel, four more shots had been fired from the hidden snipers. The firing had come to an abrupt stop when the group neared the large armoured rig.

Lightly tapping the passenger's side door Taser softly called out, "It's me Taser open up"

Slowly the door opened and the heavily muscled figure of Nathaniel slid out. "Those things are still coming," he muttered "If we could try and get them to move away from the convoy picking them off would be easy"

Taser gestured towards Jill and Carlos, "The American and her boyfriend won't go back to their truck, if it wasn't for these two Snake might still be alive"

Nathaniel shook his head, "This is no time for blame games Taser that matter can be sorted out later, right now those sons of bitches are starting to surround us and I don't want to be caught in the middle"

Peering out behind the rig Carlos saw not only a group of three creatures approach from the front but also another troop of three slowly coming from the right. "Hard to think that Umbrella taught brain dead zombies to carry weapons and work as a team" he remarked staring back at the closing monsters.

"I think they're a different sub species like those Hyper Sapien things we saw at that farm house" Jill replied.

Nathaniel loaded his prize shotgun and pumped it, "I don't give a rat's ass if they were fluffy rabbits, those mutants are mince meat"

Jumping out from behind the truck Nathaniel fired towards the advancing zombies then quickly dove back awaiting retaliation. When no return fire came he cautiously peered out and muttered curses.

Jill, Carlos and Taser glanced towards the creatures to see the reason behind Nathaniel's reactions. What all three saw shocked them.

The surprise attack with the shotgun had no effect on the zombies. None appeared to have even suffered any injury, they all continued to shuffle forwards gripping their assault rifles.

"The shotgun didn't even make a dent in them" Jill breathed, "They're not ordinary zombies"

"Freaking metal men" Taser muttered, "Damn this government and their experiments"

Gunfire from further down made Nathaniel take out his radio, "Stand down damn it! Weapons aren't doing anything to them"

Taser suddenly fired at the zombies then turned back flashing his large white teeth, "Well like those splatter pics have always said, head shots do the trick"

Jill quickly glanced out towards the group on the right. Sure enough only two members remained standing, the third was lying in the sand while dark blood pooled under the body. The other two creatures continued at their slow pace never once showing any kind of reaction to the loss of their team member or enemy fire. _They're waiting for something _she thought _but for what? _As the zombies drew closer Jill could start to see them clearly, not that she wanted to in the first place.

They were dressed in tattered army uniforms; dried blood covered the front of one while the other's vest was open exposing the deathly grey skin of its chest. Both sets of dead eyes stared forward while their mouths were open exposing rotting stumps for teeth. By now the zombies were that close the scent of their decaying flesh could be smelt. Turning away in disgust Jill faced the group in time to see a tall man and a short fat man approach Nathaniel.

"The snipers are sitting still" the tall man replied, "They didn't move when Zebra shot at them"

Zebra only snorted, "That's because you only saw one Giraffe, something's screwy here, the guy practically let us take him down and the smell, damn they mustn't wash out here"

"It's like those things are waiting for something," Carlos said voicing Jill's thoughts.

"For what though?" Nathaniel asked looking puzzled "Ah to hell with it, if head shots are all that's needed to take 'em down I suggest we go with that"

The loud whine/grumble of a motorbike nearby caused everyone to look towards the sound.

Materializing from out of a cloud of dust was Alyssa who was seated on a blue Fireblade motorbike. She didn't have time to register the surroundings as the two zombies opened fire at her.

Alyssa darted away from the blasts then dipped down low as the tail light from the Fireblade suddenly exploded. The pair of gun toting creatures didn't back down on their attack and continued firing at Alyssa, this time when she dodged aside the bullets followed her. A gun shot nearby caused Alyssa to put her right hand to her left shoulder as blood began to course down her arm.

Nathaniel had broken from his trance and was trying to climb up on top of the truck.

Carlos glanced up towards Nathaniel asking what he was doing.

"While all of you lolly gaggers are staring off into the sunset I heard a gun fire nearby, a snipers close and I'm going to find him"

Climbing up on top Nathaniel saw not one but two snipers lying flat on their stomachs propped up by their rifles. One of them suddenly moved they were getting ready to fire. Taking out his small slim handgun Nathaniel aimed it at the sniper zombie, "Not on my watch freak"

Pulling the trigger Nathaniel watched as the creature's head exploded in a mass of blood and brain matter. Leaning back towards the others Nathaniel pointed downwards, "Make sure no one else is out, I'll take care of this last sniper"

The group nodded and jogged down the line of vehicles gripping their weapons tightly.

* * *

Something had compelled Alyssa to attack the gun-toting zombies, whether it was because the convoy was in trouble or a direct command from the Umbrella satellite didn't really matter to her. All she knew was that the zombies were a threat and had to be taken down. Narrowly missing a barrage of bullets and a shot from a hidden sniper Alyssa tired to focus on the pair in front of her. When feeling something hit her shoulder Alyssa glanced at her arm to see a small bullet hole leaking blood. As the droplets fell to the sand she sensed the two zombies were preparing to fire again. Sidestepping the bullets didn't work this time as the line of fire chased after her. _They have to run out of bullets sometime_ Alyssa thought _but it doesn't seem too soon_.

In the distance Alyssa sensed three more infected creatures coming her way. Shaking her head in frustration she took out her left handgun. _Gotta take out these two before their friends come!_

Before either creature could fire their weapon Alyssa first leapt over their heads and quickly spinning around shot both zombies in the knees. As the pair slowly turned neither seemed affected by the attack and only levelled their weapons at Alyssa.

Seeing the zombie's reactions confused Alyssa, she knew that she'd hit both in the knees. It had been a crippling shot and they were supposed to be on the ground disabled. Instead both assault rifles peppered the ground near Alyssa forcing her to avoid the blasts. Slipping the handgun back in her leg holster Alyssa turned towards her enemies. _Looks like it's the old fashioned way then_.

As she ran forward the pair of zombies fired their guns again. Zigzagging around the bullets Alyssa then performed a spinning high jump kick towards both zombies causing them to fall back hard into the sand. Not giving the nearest creature a chance to get back up Alyssa grabbed a hold of its head and twisted it to the left sharply. When the second zombie attempted to struggle to its feet Alyssa took out her right handgun and shot the creature in the head. As the zombie fell back into the sand Alyssa slightly turned to see Jill, Carlos and a few other members of the convoy watching her.

Stepping away from both bodies Alyssa quickly put the handgun away. She only had time to see the shocked faces of Jill and Carlos before the other group of armed zombies attacked. At the same time the terrible cold feeling came over Alyssa and across her vision she saw numbers and words scroll across. Gritting her teeth Alyssa ran forward she knew that her vision was trying to be 'hacked into' by Umbrella but she wasn't giving in.

When reaching the three zombies her vision had cleared giving Alyssa enough time to side step the round of fire. But while she avoided one enemy the other two struck from both sides. Glancing at her handguns Alyssa sighed _I should have taken one of those rifles when I had the chance; maybe they could've done more damage to these things_. In the back of her mind Alyssa knew the armed zombies had somehow been programmed to fight her but for the moment such thoughts were useless, only survival mattered.

Suddenly one of the rifles clicked dry and for a few seconds the zombie stood there watching the other two fire at their darting target. Alyssa had noticed this too and kicking the nearest zombie aside started for the still one. Before she could reach it the zombie fumbled inside it's tattered vest, ejected the spent clip and slid the fresh one in the rifle.

Seeing this Alyssa froze _Crap! They can reload?! _Feeling something hit her right leg she glanced down and realized that four new bullet holes were now there. Just as before with the arm wound Alyssa felt nothing, only a dull cold sensation as though someone had placed four ice cubes on her leg. Again all three rifles fired causing her to roll forwards onto the sandy ground.

Something glittering in the sand caught Alyssa's attention and as she snatched it up saw that it was a thin piece of steel with a sharp pointed end.

The firing had temporarily ceased while the trio of zombies shuffled towards Alyssa silently. Still keeping her attention on the zombies she eyed the Fireblade a few metres away. Despite her new wounds Alyssa sprinted towards the motorbike as a line of fire followed after her. Stopping by the fuel tank she stabbed it with the sharp end of the steel.

By now a few more people from the convoy had appeared and were watching the fight unfold. Alyssa had already picked up the sudden extra presence and as she dropped the piece of steel turned to face Jill while stretching out her left arm.

"Jill, tell everyone to get down!" Alyssa cried out.

As the zombies got closer towards the bike Alyssa's out stretched arm became covered in blue flames. Glaring back at the creatures with a sense of hate she flicked a medium sized blue fireball towards the leaking fuel.

The effect was instantaneous.

The explosion threw the advancing zombies back in a shower of twisted metal and flames. While the people in the convoy gasped and screamed Alyssa stood perfectly still feeling the warmth of the blast on her skin. At the same time dizzy sensation came over Alyssa as her vision blurred. Taking a few shaky steps forwards she spotted movement near the remains of the Fireblade and realized with horror that one of the zombies had survived the blast and was now attempting to stand.

Seizing the piece of metal she had dropped earlier Alyssa threw it towards the rising zombie. There was a wet thock as the sharp end penetrated through the creature's skull. Without uttering a single moan the zombie sunk limply back into the sand.

By now Alyssa couldn't ignore the light-headed feeling that had been gradually gnawing away inside her as the world in front started to spin. Taking another step forward she collapsed onto the hot sand as her vision darkened.

* * *

When Alyssa had been struck a second time the girl had left a large puddle of blood behind.

Griffin was the first to notice it and turned towards Paul, "How far away is this facility away from the Tri-Squad area?"

Paul shrugged, "About ten minutes by helicopter why do you ask? You got your battle what more is there?"

Griffin only smiled, "We might get more then combat data from this encounter"

* * *

The moment Alyssa had crumpled into the sand Jill and Carlos both ran forward. For once neither worried about a 'what if' situation if Alyssa had one of her episodes.

Jill knelt down beside the girl and gently turned her over. Pressing her middle and index finger into Alyssa's neck Jill felt for a pulse.

"Is she breathing?" Carlos asked quietly.

Jill nodded, "Alyssa has a racing heartbeat but she's out cold"

Glancing towards the bullet hole on Alyssa's arm Jill rolled the sleeve up, careful not to touch the blood, "The bullet passed straight through her arm and the hole has almost disappeared though I still think we should put a bandage over it for normality's sake"

"We better get this convoy moving in case something else decides to attack" Carlos said.

Jill only nodded and stood up while brushing the sand from her clothes. She knew very well whom Carlos spoke about.

Shouldering his assault rifle Carlos then bent forward and carefully picking up Alyssa walked back to their truck.

Opening the back of the truck both were surprised to see Nemesis waiting patiently for them. Without making the slightest noise the monster gently took Alyssa from Carlos and cradled the girl in large arms. As Jill closed the doors she saw Deception move forward and gently touch Alyssa's head with a taloned claw.

Walking past a few of the passengers that had emerged from the vehicles Jill and Carlos approached Nathaniel.

"Lot of people are asking questions Jill and I don't know how to answer them" Nathaniel replied.

"Everyone knows we're rebels with a military background so why can't Alyssa be as well?" Carlos suggested.

"I still don't believe that an eighteen year old girl can preform moves that make Jackie Chan look like a jittery child, what makes you think everyone else will buy that?"

"Alyssa's a fast learner she picks up stuff really quick" Jill replied lamely.

"No don't give me that rational mumbo jumbo bullshit, there's something different about that girl, now I've put up with smuggling your unusual cargo so far but if I don't get some clear answers soon then you're definitely out on your own and this time I mean it" Nathaniel then lowered his voice while making direct eye contact with Jill and Carlos. "Alyssa's like those creatures isn't she, or is she something else?"

As Carlos was about to speak Taser, Zebra and Giraffe approached them.

"We're ready to go when you are" Taser said. "Should we bury the bodies first before leaving?"

Nathaniel turned away from Jill and Carlos and nodded, never thinking that the danger had not yet passed.

* * *

Soon after Alyssa fainted and the 'eye hack' had powered down Alice slowly crept around the fringes of the convoy. Even though she had been forced to watch Alyssa fight the zombies for the benefit of Griffin, Alice also had her sights set on Nathaniel. The convoy leader was proving to be a very difficult target due to him moving around when driving and also while on the ground. It was the challenge that had kept Alice tracking him.

Walking along the sand dunes not far from where the two bleeding zombies lay Alice waited. The dull sandy coloured trench coat she wore allowed her to blend into the desert environment like a lioness hiding in tall grass. Slowly Alice positioned the rifle and peered through the cross hairs looking for her victim.

Passing over the face of Carlos, Alice had to resist an urge, both personal and programmed, to pull the trigger. There had been plenty of times when Carlos had taken shots at her and gotten away. _Besides a shot to the head is too good for you Carlos_ Alice thought _I want to listen to you struggle to breathe or even better beg me to stop hurting your lover Jill from dying_. The last thought made Alice smile, Jill was Carlos's weakness and vice versa if one could be broken the other would soon follow.

Nathaniel suddenly appeared in front of the crosshairs and this made Alice focus on her original plan. She watched Nathaniel for a while as he paced up and down looking very angry. He even appeared to be frustrated by something Jill and Carlos had said. _Most likely lies about the lab brat's actions _Alice mused _which I highly doubt will be plausible_.

Nathaniel had stood in the same place for quite some time now frowning and crossing his arms. Lining up his head in the crosshairs Alice got ready to pull the trigger. At that moment however two things happed, one was that Nathaniel started to move and two Alice's vision started to blur similar to what happened in the tunnel at the power station. Blinking her eyes only seemed to make it worse as did shaking her head. Through her sudden onset of blurry eyesight Alice could just make out Nathaniel, only now he was with a small group of people.

Without even using the sniper scope to properly line up her selected target Alice trained the rifle on Nathaniel and pulled the trigger. Lowering the weapon she blinked a few times in order to get a good view of her handy work. As her vision retuned it only made Alice frustrated. She hadn't hit Nathaniel and had instead shot a tall man with ginger hair. It was the insides of his skull that now painted the side of an armoured bus not Nathaniel's. Grating her teeth in anger Alice watched as the remaining members of Nathaniel's armed cronies plus Jill and Carlos searched desperately for the sniper.

At the same time there came the sound of helicopter blades beating the air. Alice only continued to observe the people in fascination as they panicked and ran to their vehicles.

Soon all were inside and the convoy started up again leaving behind two of their own and several other virus-ridden bodies.

No sooner had the 'copter touched down did Griffin get out and stride across the hot sand looking for the blood puddle he had seen earlier. Finding the one from Alyssa was being made difficult due to all the other drying red splatters etched into the sand. When finally locating the blood it had already started to evaporate.

Sighing and getting out a small specimen jar Griffin quickly used it to shovel a small handful of the bloodstained sand and then screwed the plastic top on it. Turning to see that Paul was not too far behind him Griffin held out the jar and shook it slightly until after a few minutes Paul took it.

Seeing Paul's disgust at the blood, Griffin smiled lightly, "Not to worry Paul the sample's only dangerous if you ingest it or let it through an open wound"

"The committee will have your arse for this if they find out what really happened to the Tri-Squads and that we risked public exposure to gather some sand!" Paul cried out.

A metal click caused Paul to slowly turn around to see Alice standing behind him glaring back with her left hand resting on a single Uzi in its holster.

"Oh I wouldn't go worrying about what those over paid executives think, the only thing you should concern yourself with right now is getting that sample back to the transport before further contamination can occur"

Without as much as a word Paul only nodded while still keeping his eyes on the glowering Alice and slowly backed away clutching the jar as though at any moment it would fly out of his hands like a frightened bird.

Griffin reached into his pocket and took out a strange looking syringe as Alice approached him, he didn't acknowledge her sudden appearance and seemed more interested in preparing the needle.

The syringe resembled the kind that carried the T-virus as it had two thin glass 'straws' intertwined to form a DNA structure underneath the initial glass covering of the needle.

"There are high levels of radiation in this area that have a tendency to cause mutations in virus carriers," Griffin said as he removed the silver end of the syringe to expose two thin metal prongs. "I need to take a blood sample to see if you've been affected, you don't mind if I do this?"

Alice knew very well that Griffin was making up bullshit but at the same time she was aware to the fact that he was baiting her into refusing the request, more then likely so such a theory as having too much free will was a bad thing and had to be lowered via a new 'up grade' and Alice was fine just the way she was without turning into a mindless emotionless vegetable like X-2. Keeping her eyes on the empty syringe Alice slowly rolled up her right arm sleeve. _One day Griffin you'll find that I won't listen, for now I'll play by your rules but soon…_

Griffin stepped forward and pressed the needle end into Alice's arm and slowly pulled part of the silver end upwards. Gradually deep red blood began to curl around the dual spirals and when it was full he removed the syringe, replaced the silver cap back on the exposed end and put it inside a clear plastic bag with a biohazard symbol on the side.

"Now to other important matters, you're following too close to the convoy and risk not only being seen but also identified by civilians and that is definitely something this corporation does not need in a time like this" Griffin said. "So from now on you're to follow them at an even greater distance understood?"

"What about Alyssa?"

Griffin only smiled cruelly, "I understand how difficult it is to be so close to your rival and not be able to do anything"

"She's getting stronger I can sense it, being out here is allowing Alyssa to discover her little known abilities though it won't be long until she kills something other then virus creatures"

"Which is the reason why I want you there to separate Alyssa from those criminals she travels with, no use having all those deaths on our hands only try to get her to come willingly, if Alyssa refuses again sedate her, disable her, it doesn't really matter as long as she's still alive, time is of an essence judging by the current route the convoy is now on it will take them a further two days to travel through the desert, after that we lose out window of opportunity to have Alyssa back with us"

"She's already refused several times"

"So try again and this time if you threaten to shoot her carry it out, I'll be checking in now and then, don't fail me in this" Griffin said as he walked past, he only took a few steps before half turning and throwing Alice a small circle shaped devise the size of a fifty cent piece, "One more thing, if you're successful at bringing Alyssa down activate the beacon, it just makes it easier to find you two in this wide expansive desert"

Completely turning away from Alice, Griffin walked back to the waiting helicopter. Getting inside the black 'copter rose and slowly began to make it's way back to the complex.


	31. The parting of ways

* * *

**Chapter Thirty **

* * *

The convoy drove across the desert at an astonishing speed which caused a few drivers of the other rigs attempt to contact Nathaniel during the mad dash in an effort to find out the true reason for this sudden onset of actions. When only a hurried reply came back no one dared ask again why all the vehicles were flying across the desert. Due to the appearance of the black helicopter the convoy had split from their line formation and now drove in a v shape similar to a flock of migrating birds, the complaints from the new position were at a minimal as the entire convoy were still getting over what they had just witnessed.

Both Jill and Carlos knew exactly what they had seen and such a sight had disturbed them. By now it was quite obvious that Umbrella was tracking their movements in the convoy through Alyssa however when the single black 'copter began closing in from the distance it appeared as though the girl's time was up when her tormenters came to collect their prize, an action that had been thwarted by the rapidly disappearing convoy.

"We must've been close to one of those Spheres" Jill suddenly spoke up. "That helicopter seemed to want us out and fast"

"But why only one? Surely there'd be a squad of them, hovering in the air, barking out orders" Carlos replied shaking his head. "I still can't get over what happened to Giraffe, poor guy was only doing his job and suffered for it"

"His death can be blamed on Alice, who else was there? All those snipers had been taken care of"

"Looks like the plan changed, instead of capturing us Umbrella just wants us dead"

Jill frowned, "We're criminals, they've wanted us dead for a long time ever since we decided to fight back but I had the feeling that Alice wasn't aiming at us, maybe Giraffe got in the way of the true target"

"You mean to say she was after Nathaniel, why? It's not like he's on Umbrella's most wanted list"

"Nathaniel's the only one who's stood up to Alice and lived, he can also identify her because he was close enough to see her face" Jill pointed out. "I also think the reason for that helicopter to come all the way out here wasn't just to chase us off, it was to retrieve Alice or something else, maybe those zombies I don't know"

"Alyssa, it could've been her they were after, I didn't see much when we drove off but the two figures that got out of that helicopter weren't army grunts, they were people wearing suits, three guesses who one of them could've been"

Jill turned sharply towards Carlos, worry flashing across her face, "Oh shit you don't think it was that creep Griffin? This is serious then, according to Alyssa he never leaves the labs but when he does…"

In the distance a silver spire from a tall building suddenly materialized on the horizon cutting the conversation between the pair. As the convoy drew closer towards the strange towering obelisk several smaller buildings began to appear which 'grew' to form a large city surrounded by an equally silver steel wall. The entire place now seemed more like a futuristic city from a science fiction novel then anything else. The gleam from the spire and the walls glittered across the desert towards the convoy as though beckoning them to enter.

Slowly the formation of vehicles pulled to a stop on the outskirts of the glittering metropolis and at the same time Nathaniel's voice came over the radio.

"I want all normal civilian travellers to get on the bus if you haven't done so already and if anyone has any illegal junk on board ditch it before we enter Broome understand? I have a good reputation with borderline security and want to keep it that way"

"Broome" Jill repeated as she eyed the steel walls of the city. It had only seemed like yesterday that the group had hitched up with Nathaniel's convoy and travelled into the desert. The city Broome had been the destination for the convoy however it only appeared as some distant far off place, now as the armoured vehicles sat on the far reaches of the city Jill knew their time with the convoy was at an end.

Hearing a knock on the side of the door Carlos opened it to find Kirsty standing by herself outside. The little girl nervously glanced up at Carlos as she fiddled with her long blonde hair appearing unsure of what to say.

"Is Alyssa awake yet? I kinda wanted to say goodbye to her," Kirsty asked softly.

Leaning across Carlos, Jill smiled back, "Let's all see together ok?"

Both then got out and walking around the back of the truck Jill and Carlos were surprised to find Kirsty standing patiently beside the double metal doors as though she'd been in a similar situation before.

Jill only stepped past Kirsty and turned the handle, "You might want to cover your eyes sweetie it's a bit dark in there"

Kirsty frowned at Jill, "You're a silly head, I know Nemesis won't hurt me, he's Alyssa's superhero helper"

Carlos only lightly chuckled at the remark as he shook his head, never had he heard anything like that mentioned about a creature that was created for destruction. _The innocence of children is amazing_ he thought smiling.

Opening one of the doors Jill climbed inside, half shutting it behind her. After a few moments she re emerged helping a very dazed Alyssa out of the back.

Kirsty didn't hold back her emotions and rushed forward throwing her arms around Alyssa while laughing, "You're ok, I knew you'd come back!"

Unused to such a reaction Alyssa only smiled weakly as she glanced down at Kirsty, "You know I'd never let you down, that's what superheroes do"

"You're not gonna come with us are you?"

Alyssa shakily kneeled down so that she was at Kirsty's level, "I'm sorry Kirsty I can't, there's things out in the desert I still have to do"

"Superhero stuff, are you gonna fight the scary sand lady and those bad men in the helicopter?"

"Something like that" Alyssa replied nodding. She then reached into the pocket of her jeans and took out a small pendant on a thin leather band. "I know you like the ocean and collecting shells so I made you this, it's glass shell so you always remember me"

Kirsty stepped forward, eyes wide mouth a gape as Alyssa lowered the necklace around her neck, lightly touching the shell she looked straight at Alyssa, "Thank you Alyssa, I'll never forget you, you're the bestest real super hero I ever known"

Hearing her name being called out by Nathaniel, Kristy quickly gave Alyssa a light hug, "Will I see you again?"

"Maybe I'll come visit you at the beach one day"

Kirsty only nodded while playing with her new necklace, "I'd like that then we could play all day" she then skipped away waving. "Bye Alyssa"

In the distance Kirsty ran up to her father Nathaniel who scooped her up in his arms, showing her father the necklace given to her by Alyssa caused him to glance over at the group before turning around and walking off. Alyssa noticed this and only hopped that the gift she gave to Kirsty would be taken care of and not hidden by her over protective father. As she walked towards Jill and Carlos her head still carried the remnants of a headache but she ignored it.

"That was nice of you to do that Alyssa" Carlos remarked. "Kirsty really liked you"

"When did Kirsty find out about Nemesis?" Jill inquired. "She knew his name and also where both monsters were"

Alyssa shrugged, "I showed Kirsty, Nemesis a while back, nothing happened she just wanted a clear look at the creature that saved her"

"Guess I was wrong about you rebels" a voice behind the group called out.

As all three turned around they saw Nathaniel standing beside the bus staring back at them.

"Despite our little disagreements the three of you turned out to be ok, though I wouldn't recommend you all for a medal, anytime you want to travel with my convoy you know where to find me" Nathaniel replied. "Without you three I would've lost a lot more out there in that desert" he then produced a small brown paper wrapped package. "One of those teens had this on them but I think you'll need it more then me especially if you're going up against sadistic freaks and mutants"

At first when Jill took the package from Nathaniel her 'inner cop' summarised that the contents would be drugs but as she slowly removed the paper it was discovered that there were four sticks of dynamite. She glanced up towards Nathaniel, "Thank you, for trusting us and not giving up"

Nathaniel shrugged, "Just wish I could've done more, can't really thank your group enough, two members in particular for saving my daughter and this convoy several times, the news reports paint you all out to be nothing but cowards, I reckon they might need to take a good long look at themselves because that's not what I saw out here, give those corporation bastards hell make sure you really screw up their work, none of us desert denizens want more psychotic killers being manufactured, one's enough I think"

Jill only tightly held onto the dynamite and nodded, "Don't worry that's what we plan to do"

Nodding towards the group Nathaniel turned and walked away, calling out to Zebra and Taser to help the passengers unload their belongings from the carrier truck.

Carlos only watched Nathaniel's actions and grinned, "He's not very big on goodbyes"

"That's Nathaniel for you" Jill said she then gestured towards the truck, "Let's get going we have a bit of backtracking to do"

As all three got inside the truck Alyssa got out the map she'd drawn earlier showing the Sphere complexes, "There's one close by"

"How do you know that?" Jill asked.

Alyssa shrugged, "I heard you two talking before, Griffin wouldn't come all that way out unless one of these Spheres were near those buildings where we met the zombies"

Carlos started the engine and put the truck in reverse, "Well as long as we can find one I'll be happy, destroying a single complex would be worth all the pain that's been endured for this trip"

"For all the people that died because of what the Spheres have done to the desert" Alyssa added. "The virus made the Hyper Sapiens, Infected and those gun zombies, they shouldn't be allowed to exist"

A loud beeping nearby caused everyone to look through the passenger's side window. Still seated in her SUV, Camellia pushed on her vehicle's horn again and waved back while smiling. Carlos waved back and returned Camellia's audio salute with one of his own. The loud truck horn caused a few passengers nearby to glance towards it while frowning and this only made Camellia laugh out loud and shake her head.

Carlos frowned as he put the truck into drive, "I guess people around here aren't too familiar with the two horn salute"

"They all probably think we're a mob of petrol heads now" Jill grumbled, she then lightly smiled, "Well at least Nathaniel can say confidently that all Americans like their cars large and make loud exits"

"I don't understand what all that was about, why did you beep the horn again?" Alyssa asked.

Both Jill and Carlos glanced up at each other and began to laugh which only further confused Alyssa. The truck had only gone a few miles away from the convoy when a noise close by cut their laughter short.

Carlos's smile faded when he saw the familiar black Harley seemingly appear from out of nowhere as it darted in front of the truck cutting them off from the convoy, "She doesn't give up" he muttered.

Alyssa cringed away from the revving engine and faced Jill, "We have to do something, Nathaniel and the others are too close, Alice could easily kill them all"

Jill only nodded and turned towards Carlos, "We better take some evasive manoeuvres even if we have Alice on our tail as we look for those Spheres it's better then having her murder an entire group of innocent bystanders"

"I'll do more then that," Carlos said through gritted teeth as he glared back at Alice now calmly sitting on the bike. Turning the wheel sharply caused the truck to jerk to the right as it started towards the Harley "She wants a chase I'll give that killer something to chase"

Jill screamed something to Carlos, most likely to stop, as the truck swerved and narrowly missed hitting the bike. The only reaction from Alice was to rev the engine of the Harley one more time before shooting past the truck and back into the desert.

Carlos only grumbled under his breath as he turned the truck around and began to give chase. With one hand on the steering wheel he reached down under the seat and retrieved the assault rifle. Balancing it on the rim of the open driver's side window Carlos fired a brief blast to the rapidly disappearing bike. The bullets hit the ground sending up small geysers of sand, none were even close to hitting their target.

Reaching up Jill placed her right hand on Carlos's arm causing him to turn away from the desert, "Carlos stop the truck, you can't let Alice get to you!"

Instantly Carlos slammed on the breaks with enough force that Jill and Alyssa flew into the dashboard. On the horizon the Harley was just visible making large circles in the sand as though Alice was taunting her would be pursers.

"I don't know what got into me," Carlos said as he shook his head. "Something told me I should give chase and before I knew it…" he trailed off. "I feel like an idiot for doing that but I couldn't help myself"

Jill only lightly rested her head on Carlos's shoulder, "It's ok at least the convoy is safe now"

While the chase was happening Alyssa had drifted away into a world of her own ignoring the sudden onset of pain that sliced through her brain. She knew very well it was Alice trying to communicate telepathically with her, an ability that she'd seen her rival use only a few times. Despite Alice being out in the desert it didn't stop her from taunting Alyssa inside her head.

_Getting lost in the desert isn't a smart choice Alyssa, even if you have your rebel friends and pets to protect you, what's to stop a single command that would allow you to take them all out? _thesneering voice of Alice said inside Alyssa's head.

Fortunately for Alyssa, Alice wasn't the only one who could thought speak so she easily replied back. _Nice trick but I still won't give in_.

_Not that old story again, I know your reason for being out here so why not do it, one of the Spheres is not too far away_.

Alyssa froze when hearing this, at the same time she was confused, it sounded as though Alice wanted to show them where one of the hidden complexes were. She was very cautious with her next question for she knew that Alice wouldn't wait around forever to get an answer. _Why do you want to help us?_

_I'm not helping you so get rid of that thought, the others need to see what a mess Griffin has made then he may get demoted and allow me to rise to another rank, if he gets a hold of you however then it's more then likely he'll be recognised as the one who brought balance to the corporation and be granted higher powers, does that make sense to you lab brat?_

Jill suddenly screamed out to Carlos to stop and Alyssa momentarily glanced over at her before turning back to the desert. _Show me where we have to go_.

The Harley disappeared off into the horizon but not before the final remark came from Alice. _Very well Alyssa, I'll show you, but getting inside is a different matter, you'll see when you get there but be warned, once inside the perimeter you're a target again is that clear? _

Jill's voice made Alyssa snap back into reality moving around to face her she frowned, "Did you say something?"

"I called your name three times and you didn't answer, are you ok?" Jill asked with a look of concern.

Alyssa only shrugged, "For the moment I am the best you can feel if there's some foreign object lodged in your brain"

"Don't worry Alyssa, we're going to figure that out, those labs might have equipment down there that could remove it or at least deactivate it like a magnet or something" Carlos replied.

"It'd have to be a pretty big magnet not the kind you put on your fridge" Jill pointed out, she then peered through the windscreen, "Looks like Alice disappeared again"

Alyssa shook her head, faintly she could sense her rival to the left of the truck and knew that the game of follow the leader was on, "No she's still there, over by those sand dunes"

Carlos turned the wheel in the left direction, which made Jill look up at him, "I thought you'd gotten over the whole suicidal warrior factor?"

"I'm just going with my gut feeling at the moment," Carlos said as he held up his right hand to quieten Jill. "I know we're on the right path to finding one of them so just bear with me"

Jill only rolled her eyes as she sunk back into the seat, "Well Mr Gut Feeling just remember that tank of gas isn't going to stay full forever eventually it'll run out and then we're all but…"

"A mountain up ahead!" Alyssa suddenly screamed out.

Like some giant extinct creature a small grouping of rocky mountains suddenly rose up in the distance. The skeletons of dead trees poked out from the highest parts of the range while nestled near the foot of the mountains were dozens of rusted out wrecks of vehicles and air planes, victims to the harsh desert environment.

"How did you know there was a mountain range here?" Jill asked Alyssa suspiciously "They weren't on the map you drew"

The rumbling engine of the Harley cut Alyssa off as it sped past the truck and towards the range. Seeing the appearance of their foe once again caused Jill to grit her teeth as she watched Alice navigate the bike towards the mountains.

"Alice has gone mad, she'll never get that heavy bike up that rocky range, it doesn't have the traction to deal with such conditions" Jill remarked.

"I don't think she's going up the mountain, just through it" Carlos said as he watched the Harley disappear behind the heaped machinery.

Alyssa only heard the taunting voice of her equal fade away until it was only a whisper in her head. _Have fun finding a way in lab brat, I'll see you on the other side_.

Undoing her seat belt she opened the door and ran outside following the tire tracks left behind by the bike. She heard the other door open and close as heavy footsteps followed behind her. Upon reaching where the tracks ended Alyssa was confused to see a large wall of rock in front of her. Glancing down at the tracks, which disappeared into the mountain, then back towards the wall only further puzzled her.

When Jill and Carlos reached Alyssa they only stared up at the wall as well.

"Something's wrong with all of this" Jill said softly. "People just don't disappear into walls"

"Well they can if they slam into it hard enough, but it doesn't look like as though Alice was wall pizza" Carlos joked. "I once read in a book about a holographic wall used to hide a villain's lair, maybe this is the same"

"Oh yeah sure, like Umbrella would spend millions of dollars on a hologram wall that anyone could just happen to come across" Jill said sarcastically. "This whole thing smells like a trap, for all we know Alice might have a dozen armed goons lining us all up in their cross hairs this very instant you know what I think we should do…"

Alyssa suddenly called out from the wall causing both to turn towards her. She had her right ear pressed up against the rocky wall, while her left hand was resting close by, "I can hear wind on the other side" gently patting the wall down where she was there suddenly came a click as part of it began to slide open. The short hallway revealed desert on the other side and in the distance what appeared to be a large mansion that had half sunk into the sands.

As Alyssa walked back to the now shocked Jill and Carlos she only pointed up towards the mountains, "I think it's time we did some mountain climbing"


	32. Storming the establishment

* * *

**Chapter Thirty One **

* * *

The hot desert wind from the outside caused a ripple effect on the outer wall of the mobile observation area. Due to the occasional 'curious' aircraft that flew over at random times such set ups to monitor subjects in the field were decreased, however with a sudden order from the committee, who were no doubt monitoring Alyssa's movements as well, Griffin was granted permission to use the area as a type of observation deck. The outside of the white tent appeared small, though once inside there was plenty of room to accommodate various electronic equipment and, if needed, various medical items such as a gurney complete with strong restraints should a capture in the near future occur.

A single day had passed not long after the observation tent was set up when Paul had called Griffin's attention to a disturbing discovery. It seemed that both implanted subjects were slowly heading towards S-1, the complex that Griffin was currently at. The screen on one of the monitors clearly showed that both Alyssa and Alice were in the same vicinity as S-1 though for the moment it caused no alarm with Griffin, a part of him however did feel fear when seeing that Alyssa was so close by. _That girl would shoot if she had the chance_ he thought while staring back at the monitor. Paul's voice nearby made Griffin snap from his thoughts and turn towards him.

"The satellite for both subjects appears to be suffering a malfunction at the moment" Paul said from his chair. "I can still receive read outs just not in a constant stream"

"So fix it and make it fast" Griffin snapped. "We don't have any time to waste should the specimen show up"

"There is one factor that's very troubling, it seems that Project Alice is returning back here to S-1 and she's not alone"

Hearing this Griffin glanced into the screen to see a still image of the outer perimeter of the complex. In the distance a lone black Harley with it's rider approached the steel gates, in the background were the remanets of what was called 'the border' which consisted of a rocky mountain range that provided the facility some cover from curious travellers.

"That's one of the last images I could get before the satellite froze up again" Paul replied.

"What makes you think that Alice is being followed?"

"The motion sensors picked up movement outside 'the border'"

Griffin shrugged, "It may have been anything, an animal, a group of Infected, everything that the sensors pick up are not necessarily the rebels"

"At first I assumed that as well until the satellite came back online and it clearly shows a large armoured truck that is directly outside the mountain range near the same path Alice is currently on"

Before Griffin could reply a loud rumbling engine passed by the tent causing the small group of armed soldiers to shift nervously, they knew very well what that engine was from. Noticing the actions of the 'brave' squad Griffin only shook his head while rolling his eyes.

"At ease all of you" he said sighing. Glancing up towards the entrance Griffin motioned for the members to come forward. "Take up defensive positions near the front entryway"

Turning back to Paul, Griffin spoke, "How did she get back inside the complex?"

Paul only shrugged appearing confused, "The gate opened automatically when Alice approached them"

As the flaps to the tent parted and a figure stepped forward six metallic snickers sounded off. Griffin was standing at a safe distance from where the armed men were and as he looked up towards Alice as she stood in the doorway she had remained calm, not even batting an eyelid as six assault rifles were aimed at her. As she swept the entire room with a casual glance it was evident to see that Alice wanted to take out her own weapons and cut down the threats but due to a superior being so close by the implant's programming limited her actions.

"You led those activists here?" Griffin suddenly spoke up. "Why?" he had seen the infamous videotape while at the Detroit facility and was well aware of Alice's 'confession' on the recording. However after she had been reformed such events were only hazy memories to her yet it was still a disturbing thought, which occurred often to Griffin that if Alice did turn he'd be the first to go.

Alice only glared back across the room with her icy blue eyes, "I had my reasons"

"It had better be a good explanation," Griffin said as he gestured for the squad to slowly back off. "I'm all ears"

"The rebels want to destroy these complexes which was the reason for them being here in the first place and seeming as Alyssa is with them I pretended to guide the group to one of the Spheres, what they don't know is that this one is more heavily guarded then the others, I figured that once here the rebels can't escape and the missing property will be returned"

Griffin only nodded while smiling thinly, Alice had obviously done her homework when it came to having knowledge of the fire power behind S-1, the first Sphere had been equipped to take the most damage as it was the easiest to find out of all four, he had slightly relaxed when hearing the explanation, however Griffin wasn't going to give Alice the benefit of the doubt there was something about the way she spoke which pointed towards a hidden agenda, "You figured that out all on your own?" he then glanced towards Paul, "Anything?"

"The newest images show that an unmarked vehicle is heading towards the perimeter fence, however the last optical hack has overloaded the system in the Winterstone girl, we can't monitor her temporarily but I'm working to fix that"

Once again Griffin had to repress the urge to say something he would regret and simply turned back to Alice, "Take this squad and order all the others into an ambush formation"

"What about the rebels when they come?"

Griffin grinned, "We have to make our guests feel welcome otherwise we wouldn't be very good hosts"

Watching Alice and the armed soldiers walk outside Griffin sat down at an empty terminal, he then looked towards Paul, "Get on the radio and tell the snipers not to shoot at the truck when it enters"

Paul only nodded as he picked up the comm. link, "Are there any new orders you want me to give them while you're at it?"

Griffin simply leaned back in his chair, "Tell them to carefully watch Alice and fire if she shows any sign of aggression towards either Alyssa or that Nemesis creature, we can't risk losing one"

Pressing the talk button Paul didn't even need to query if the shots that'd be fired were to be a warning or takedown he knew very well what the answer would be.

* * *

When the group had finally reached the top of the mountain range the heat was already high. After discovering the entrance through the range it had been a major decision whether or not to climb up one of the inter lapping rocky mountainside to get a better look of the surrounding area. With no proper equipment they all had to rely on finding foot holds in the rock that would hopefully take their combined weight, even Nemesis struggled, being the heaviest member of the group. Deception however nimbly ascended the ragged walls with ease leaving the others far behind.

Carlos only eyed Deception as he did this, "That Hunter, I swear he does that on purpose to make all of us feel bad"

Standing on a cleared stone 'platform' the outlook provided the perfect view of the surrounding desert and the mansion in the far distance. Sun light glittered off a metal fence in that was around the structure and the tops of various vehicles could be seen. The old mansion was at an angle that would make the leaning tower a Pisa a disgrace, it had sunken into the sands favouring it's right side and from a distance appeared un inhabited, with the exception of the chain link barrier.

Getting out his binoculars Carlos began to study the building, "There doesn't appear to be anyone about, but those jeeps and rigs look like as though they've been frequently used, they're definitely military issue and…" he then smiled, "Looks like it's not too deserted I saw something move up in those old rusted electrical transformers"

"Most likely snipers" Jill remarked. "I wouldn't put it past Umbrella not to have snipers guarding an abandoned building, that mansion must be the entrance"

"I've seen this place before in my head" Alyssa suddenly spoke up forcing Jill and Carlos to turn towards her.

"You mean in a memory as in you've visited this place ages ago?" Jill asked.

Alyssa shook her head, "When my sight was first used, they didn't just give me a map but also images" she pointed towards the mansion. "That was one of them"

"I'm starting to believe this was all a set up, one of our most dangerous enemies leading us to a secret lab their superiors want to keep hidden? Come on where's the logic in that" Carlos replied.

"They wanted us to come" Alyssa said in a low voice. "We're here now and they're waiting for us to make the first move"

"Well I say we give it them" Jill suddenly said as she stared back towards the mansion.

Carlos only blinked in surprise before speaking, "Uh are you forgetting about the snipers and the fact that perhaps a whole squad of armed soldiers not to mention a certain killer who has been trailing us for days are waiting for us down there?"

"Your point is?"

"It makes sense, if we act to how Umbrella thinks we're going to act it'll catch them off guard, no one expects the most obvious form of attack" Alyssa pointed out, she then thinly smiled, "Something I picked up from Alice"

"You're both crazy, the desert has finally gotten to you" Carlos groaned, he then turned towards Nemesis, "Tell me they're crazy?"

Nemesis only shook his head and growled out a wavering "No"

"Everyone's turned against me," Carlos grumbled as he crossed his arms.

Alyssa had suddenly become forced on the desert again as she looked down towards the fence, "I think we may have a slight problem"

Both Jill and Carlos walked up to where Alyssa was as she pointed towards a large group of people that had started to congregate near the fence.

"I didn't think protesters came out to these parts" Carlos joked.

Jill was more serious, "Do you think it's more of those Hyper Sapien zombies?"

"They're Infected, notice how none of them are actually touching the fence only walking around it?" Alyssa pointed out.

"They've learned that the fences are electrified" Carlos replied as he watched the group through his binoculars. He suddenly noticed one of the Infected fall down while the rest scattered, "Something's going on down there" turning back towards Jill he handed her the binoculars, "I think the snipers are using those things as target practice"

"Well what else is there to do when you're stuck up in a tower like that all day" Jill sighed. "There doesn't seem to be any clear entrance into the place, then again there's so much junk near and around the mansion it's impossible to make anything out" she lowered the binoculars "Umbrella did a bang up job of making that place seem deserted, if the fence wasn't there I'd be a believer myself if I hadn't seen something similar back in Racoon"

"There's too many of them, we'd easily be overwhelmed by the large number of Infected and never reach the fence" Alyssa remarked.

"We could use the dynamite that Nathaniel gave us," Carlos suggested.

"Out of the question, you'd have to light the fuse and throw it far away, if we're moving towards that, chances are we'd run over it instead" Jill said as she shook her head.

"Then let's go for plan B, make a large Molotov cocktail and throw it at them when we're in range"

Jill only frowned, "With what? We really don't have anything strong enough to send those Infected flying"

"There's no need to send them flying, just to part the way, besides those things could come in handy seeming as the Infected really want to get into that facility as much as we do, we could use some of the fuel in the truck and that large glass bottle that's been under the seat since we left Cairns, it used to be full of water but now that there's nothing inside, it's perfect"

"But that fuel is what's needed to get us to that Sphere, we use it up on some harebrained scheme that may never work and we might as well hand ourselves over to our enemies now!"

Carlos shook his head while smiling, "So it's the old sceptic Jill again, I knew you couldn't keep that act up for long"

"I'm only trying to see the logic in this master plan of yours" Jill huffed as she crossed her arms, "It's just to make sure we don't all die out here"

Before anyone, including Alyssa and the silent monsters, could make a remark a black helicopter suddenly flew right over the group's hiding place. Both Nemesis and Deception roared at the 'copter as it continued towards the mansion while Jill, Carlos and Alyssa hit the ground while waiting for it to pass over.

"Do you think they saw us?" Alyssa asked as she slowly rose.

"If they did then they would've turned back, it kept going" Jill answered as she dusted herself off.

"Well at least we know one thing, it's definitely not abandoned, unless those guys that are getting out down there just did a pizza run" Carlos said.

"They flew in more squads, looks like they're preparing for a fight and I think so should we, let's give them an entrance they won't soon forget" Jill replied as she started for the cliff edge.

The rest could only silently agree and hope that once this battle was over there would still be a group of rebels left.

* * *

The labouring engine of a single truck broke the silence of the desert as it powered itself across the rocky landscape and towards a mansion that had half disappeared into the sand. Upon getting closer to the thick chain link fence the large group of Infected began to take a sudden interest in this new object that was approaching at great speeds towards them, they began to bunch together to form a mass of snarling drooling creatures much like protesters would do during a peace rally. Inside the truck was a different matter.

Jill sat in between Alyssa and Carlos holding a large glass bottle containing fuel with a ripped shirt, her only spare item of clothing, sticking out of the top, she glanced towards Carlos when seeing the large group of Infected, "I hope you're right about this"

"Just get ready to give it me when I say so" Carlos replied, a few more seconds passed before he shouted, "Ok now would be a great time to light that sucker"

Snatching the lighter from the dashboard Jill flicked it towards the petrol drenched rag at the top as she handed it to Carlos who quickly took the bottle and while still gripping the steering wheel with one hand hefted the bottle as hard as he could.

As the bottle spun through the air the flame began to flicker and before long the end of the 'fuse' was nothing more then a smoking tail, it still continued towards the waiting group of Infected as inside the truck both Jill and Carlos shouted out similar curse words.

Alyssa had noticed the sudden disappearance of the flame but had become focused on the spinning bottle. Winding down the window she pointed towards the air borne bottle before flicking a wide arc of electrified fire towards it.

When the tongue of fire hit the bottle the results were instant, it not only shattered into dozens of pieces but also rained down on the Infected cutting into the now howling mass of creatures. The explosion had even created a few miniature fires, which the remaining Infected quickly discovered was very painful to the touch and should be avoided.

The truck powered forward at such a speed that when the steel gates opened up allowing the vehicle a clear entrance it didn't raise suspicion with any of the passengers. Nor did anyone notice that the metal gates swung shut when they passed through them or a figure, which now stood in the vehicle's path.

"Oh shit it's Alice" Jill said out loud.

"I guess now's a better time then any to start our plan" Carlos replied. He tried to turn the truck away from the grinning Alice who was approaching from the front but found it was impossible. "The engine isn't starting, that's all we need"

Alyssa hadn't taken her eyes off Alice and ignoring the faint ringing in her head could only watch on as a dozen men wearing black body armour carrying assault rifles suddenly appeared from behind the still smiling Alice as they surrounded the truck. "Uh anytime is really good" she remarked.

Suddenly the door to the passenger's side flew open and a single armed solider levelled his weapon at Alyssa, "Specimen 8940 get out of the car and come with me!" he ordered.

Alyssa only had time to deliver a sharp kick the to the man's neck as Jill and Carlos threw open the other door and began to run around the back pounding on the walls of the truck. Springing over the fallen solider Alyssa only had time to see the confused expression on Alice's face as Nemesis, Deception and herself struggled to keep up with Jill and Carlos.

Quickly striding around to peer through the driver's side door Alice realized the reason for the rebel's mad dash into the vehicle yard. Sitting tied to the wheel were six sticks of dynamite the fuses barely visible. Backing away from the truck she had no time to raise the alarm or retreat to a safe enough distance before the entire truck exploded.

The explosion was enough to send several members of the team flying; some did not get up, while others were covered in flame and debris. Even Alice didn't escape unscathed; the blast caused her to fly back into a nearby wall of the mansion, which temporarily clouded her vision.

Struggling to her feet Alice scanned the now blackened remains of the rebel's truck ignoring the cries of pain from the downed men. _They knew we'd let them in _she thought in frustration. Feeling something heavy on her left side Alice glanced down to see a thick piece of metal had embedded itself in her upper torso near where the liver would be located. The metal hadn't really pissed Alice much when sighting it, it was the fact that she hadn't been fast enough to move out of the road or even defuse the dynamite that really made her mad. Blood had already started to spread on the sand coloured shirt she wore under the trench coat, just like many previous injuries there was no crippling pain that followed only emptiness, however it was seeing another thing that captured the attention of Alice causing her to completely forget about the foreign object that was sticking out of her body.

A few feet away stood Jill and as Alice glared back and quickly yanked out the metal from her side she noticed Jill slightly wince and begin to back away. This time the urges to shoot enemies weren't ignored, partly because they were given orders, taking out both her Uzis, Alice let loose a barrage of bullets towards Jill who only took cover behind a white carrier rig.

Nearby came the sound of gun fire, evidence to suggest that the hidden squads, unlike the charred members near the front entrance, had spotted the rebels and were carrying out their given orders to shoot first and ask questions later.

A screech close by caused Alice to forget about her target, which had slipped away and turn towards the sound. The Infected were back up against the fence in greater numbers and had started to shake the steel barrier while howling like lost souls. Seeing this only made Alice smile, if the Infected ever breached the protective boarder chaos would break out. Although she felt tempted to give the drooling snarling creatures a helping hand in their endeavour she dismissed it, already Griffin was suspicious of her leading the rebels to S-1 and unless they were stopped he'd most likely hold her responsible.

Sliding the Uzis back into their holsters Alice continued forward in the direction that Jill had run off into.


	33. Strangers in the sky

_My sudden onset of long worded essays has been keeping me from posting up any more chapters but hopefully the ones that follow have been worth the wait, keep those reviews coming as they motivate me to keep going with this epic! _

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* * *

**

Chapter Thirty Two

* * *

No sooner after the explosion happened Alyssa had been separated from the others and as she dodged gun fire and the occasional soldier she continued to run forward, more worried about locating her friends then finding an entrance to the underground complex. Rounding a corner on the sunken mansion caused Alyssa to suddenly stop as she stared towards an unusual sight.

From where she was standing Alyssa easily saw the large white tent and could sense that Griffin was inside it, something told her that one of her tormentors was hidden within the confines of the large tent and she only knew it was Griffin. It had been a while since her sight had been taken over which hinted to the fact that the implant was dead or had been deactivated. Taking out her silver handguns Alyssa first checked to see if both still had an adequate supply of ammunition in them. She knew the possibility of killing Griffin was very slim but if the time came she wouldn't hesitate in pulling the trigger. _That monster has screwed with my head for too many years, now it's his turn to feel pain_ Alyssa thought.

Anger was something Alyssa rarely experienced but now it was fully directed towards Griffin. In many ways the implant, with its various urges including a heightened sense of anger and violence towards others had allowed her to control the emotion brewing within.

_I'm not scared of you anymore Griffin_ Glancing towards a set of sand covered metal shipping containers Alyssa started to formulate a plan.

* * *

Frustration barely described what Griffin was going through as he restlessly paced back and forth in the tent. Paul had been right about the connection being lost; the only thing that he wasn't alerted to was that an entire day had passed for the connection from the implant Alyssa carried. While he knew where the rebels were thanks to the cameras around the facility Alyssa's unknown location was starting to become a concern, the girl had successfully been able to avoid detection from any of the security cameras.

"Have you re-established the connection yet?" Griffin asked.

Paul pushed the screen towards Griffin, "In a few moments it'll be back online"

Another minute flew by of harsh typing on the keyboard and soon Paul sat back and gave a triumphant sigh, "We've got visual again"

As Griffin peered into the blue tinged screen he was surprised to see the view become jerky, below Alyssa's feet there seemed to be metal platforms. "Bring up the outer camera," he ordered. "I want to know where she is"

When the other screens flickered to life Paul uttered a cry of shock, "The subject is on the containers, right outside where we are!"

For a brief moment Griffin felt fear as he watched an enraged Alyssa bound across the metal shipping crates, land perfectly on the ground and calmly walk towards the tent brandishing her two handguns.

"Where's Alice, why isn't she slowing Alyssa down?" Griffin demanded, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"Project Alice's position has remained stationary for almost ten minutes now, maybe she's aware that the snipers have been ordered to target her instead of the rebels"

"Is there anyway of temporarily halting Alyssa?" Griffin asked as he ignored the snide remark from Paul.

"Total shut down of the system is possible but that's only a failsafe programme to be activated in emergency circumstances, there's a risk that she'd die from the shock as her adrenaline count is off the charts at the moment" Paul replied. "The implant has limited capabilities in stopping the subject"

By now Alyssa was within inches of the tent and Griffin slowly backed away. "I have another idea, when Alyssa enters keep her occupied as long you can" he said quickly.

Hearing this Paul went to open his mount but realized Griffin was no longer in the tent. He could only watch completely powerless as Alyssa drew closer and closer.

* * *

Griffin had rushed to leave the tent with good reason, he'd seen the twin handguns Alyssa was holding and it appeared that was prepared to use them and that was something he didn't want to be involved in.

Hearing the sound of a single gunshot from further back caused Griffin to stride towards the single white door and slide his key card through the reader.

_Follow me Alyssa_ he thought. _Come to your playground that I've set up for you_.

* * *

Alyssa stormed into the tent, guns raised, not even thinking that Griffin may have a small squad of armed men waiting for her. To her surprise there was only one occupant inside, a scared looking man with a boyish face, black hair, wearing a lab coat sitting near a screen and other machinery.

The man shrank back as Alyssa strode forward levelling her two weapons at him. Glaring at the man she spoke, "Where's Griffin?"

The man's eyes only darted up to the computer screen as he raised one shaking hand towards the keyboard.

Seeing his actions Alyssa pointed her left gun towards the man and flicked the safety switch off, her face retaining an emotionless expression.

The man uttered a small cry and raised his hands in defence, "No please I only take orders from the man, don't shoot I'm unarmed!"

Alyssa fired the gun regardless of what she'd just heard, only instead of shooting the scientist the bullet shattered the screen he was sitting next to leaving a small sizzling hole behind. Walking around the desk she grabbed the man by his collar and pulled him up roughly, "That was only a warning shot, you'll be next if you don't tell me exactly where Griffin went, forget about lying I know he was here!" she snarled.

"Out the back, he went out the back" the man spluttered.

Alyssa then shoved him into the chair, gesturing with her right gun she lightly smiled, "Stay there, but if I was you, I'd be getting to higher ground very soon" Turning and walking through the back entrance in the tent she was hit with the bright glare from the desert and at the same time noticed a white door ajar.

Despite her instincts screaming that it was a trap, the white door seemed to be the only one left open as all the other doors she'd checked previously had slammed shut or were securely locked. Gripping her weapons tightly Alyssa continued forward ready to meet any horror Griffin had unleashed for her.

* * *

Striding down the white steel corridor Griffin stopped near a keypad and quickly typed in a code. No sooner had he done this then a large section of the wall slid aside to reveal a smaller hallway with a thick steel door at the end. Walking down the new revealed brightly lit corridor he turned the doorknob and went inside. Four chairs swivelled to face Griffin, revealing three men and a woman with dark skin.

"Unlock all the doors to the testing arenas and be prepared to activate all available units in the rooms," Griffin said towards the nearest man who had a buzz cut of red hair.

Fishing the small silver remote from his pocket Griffin frowned at it then turned towards the other two male members of the group, "Bring up all current objectives and video links for Project Alice, I want to know where the hell she is"

The worse news was yet to come.

The dark skinned woman suddenly touched her head set while at the same time appearing very concerned, "Sir according to the border patrol, a group of unknown individuals are approaching this facility"

Griffin sighed, "You don't need to tell me that Tracey, I'm quite aware that those military activists are attempting to storm this place, it's nothing new to my ears"

"It's not the rebels security is talking about, they mentioned an unmarked black hawk helicopter that's heading our way carrying a large crate"

Glancing towards the screen Griffin could clearly see a black helicopter slowly approaching. _Those criminals managed to secure transport and a pilot for their getaway, how organised they are_ he thought grinning.

But as the 'copter drew closer Griffin's smile faded. He suddenly realized in horror that the attempted raid was going to get more complicated and dangerous. _It can't be…how did they know?_

Seeing Jill and Carlos run past the camera with their weapons blazing suddenly gave Griffin an idea. _Perhaps those renegades have some use after all_.

Turning back towards Tracey, Griffin spoke to her, "Tell remaining squads to take up ambush and sniper positions, the rebels are no longer their main target that helicopter is, don't let it drop whatever is in that crate"

Tracey only nodded and moving away from Griffin began the process of contacting the squads through her head set.

"We've located Alice's position, she's at the west entrance to the facility" one of the men spoke up.

Walking towards the blue tinted screen allowed Griffin to see exactly what Alice was seeing. The view showed the closing chopper and a shotgun being held by two thin arms. "Has she frozen up or something?" he asked. "Why isn't Alice moving?"

Seeing the view tip towards the shotgun made Griffin slightly understand what Alice was thinking. _She wants to fight but is holding off, strange, normally Alice is itching to dispose of enemies, why the sudden stillness?_ As the 'copter began to hover and several lines of rope spiralled out from the sides he noticed Alice grip the shotgun harder. _You want to kill unknown threats, something you've never encountered before, very well I'll give you a chance to play your little game_ Griffin thought.

The man who had spoken before tapped on the keyboard, "There's nothing wrong with her, she just refuses to move"

Griffin had ignored what was said to him and focused on the hovering helicopter. He knew that for the facility to be left in one piece and for Alyssa's testing to begin uninterrupted, boundaries had to be crossed.

"Is Order 71 still active?" Griffin asked.

"Yes it still is"

"Deactivate it along with all other current orders to kill the rebels, set the new mission objectives to destroy the helicopter and anything that comes out of it"

The red head turned to face Griffin worried and frowning, "But sir if that command is deactivated then Project Alice will no longer target the rebels unless she's threatened by them"

"Don't tell me what I already know Donald, I did design the programme I'm aware of the risks or would you rather have this facility stormed by a group of unknown assailants?" Griffin snapped.

Donald only lowered his head and resumed watching the monitor in front of him.

Turning back to the other man who spoke to him before Griffin nodded, "Do it"

* * *

Between the explosion and attempted ambush everyone had split up and gone their separate ways.

Jill had been able to find Carlos fending off a small group of the black armoured soldiers but as for Alyssa, Nemesis and Deception they were nowhere to be found. A loud crash nearby caused Jill to look up and see that the roaming Infected had bunched together and torn down one part of the barbed wire fence. Hearing her name being called she saw Carlos peer out from behind a yellow hummer. Jogging over to him Jill was surprised to see Carlos with his back turned and pointing off in the distance.

"I don't think that's Umbrella's reinforcements," he said.

Jill squinted through the sun's glare to see a black hawk helicopter carrying a wooden crate, "If they're not Umbrella's people then who the heck are they?"

Suddenly one of the Infected grabbed Jill from behind as it howled loudly. Letting out a yelp of surprise Jill fell backwards while pointing her magnum at the creature.

As Carlos stepped forward four more blistered Infected sprang up, drooling and screaming. Before he could reach for his assault rifle two of the creatures fell over, minus their legs.

Standing behind the pair was Alice, who for the meantime completely overlooked Carlos and spinning the twin swords in her hands easily cut down the remaining Infected with a spray of deep red blood. Turning back towards Carlos Alice grinned manically as she slid the blades back into their scabbards, "Looks like today's your lucky day" Reaching around her sand coloured trench coat she removed the shotgun while still keeping her eyes on Carlos.

Carlos wasn't taking any chances and gripped his assault rifle, he knew that being this close to a dangerous enemy was never good especially if they didn't have to lift a finger to do any harm, "Back off Alice, that'd make it easier for both of us"

Alice only smirked, "Is this how you treat everyone who helps you Carlos? You're down one member so I thought I'd help out but if you're going to be snappy about it…"

"That's a lie and you know it, Alyssa had better not be harmed"

"I saw your precious Alyssa a while back, she seemed quite content in snapping the spines of her enemies, face it she's changed and there's nothing you or your little girlfriend and do to make her the way she was before" Alice snickered. "Bringing Alyssa back here has just made it easier for her to be recaptured and it's also your group's death sentence"

Something cold pressed up against the left side of Alice's head as a metal snicker sounded off. From the corner of her eye Alice could make out the bedraggled figure of Jill who only glared back.

"You're not killing either of us, now why don't you run back to your master like the trained attack dog you are" the cold voice of Jill said.

Alice only laughed and pushed her head harder against the muzzle of the gun, "Now I see where Alyssa gets her threats from, you don't have it in you to pull the trigger Jill"

Disgusted by Alice's behaviour almost caused Jill to fire the weapon but she remained silent and calm. _She wants me to do that and I'm not giving her any sign that I'm afraid_.

When realizing that Jill had fallen silent Alice continued, "No doubt you saw the helicopter too?"

Carlos glanced towards the chopper to see heavily armoured men in black body armour walk away from the hovering machine. He then turned back to Alice, "What about it?"

"Both of you have two choices" Alice said as she made eye contact with Jill. "You can shoot me right here and then be picked off by the snipers around this facility"

"Or?" Carlos prompted.

At first Alice couldn't bring herself to say it and pursed her lips together for a few seconds before speaking, "We put aside out differences for a few moments and destroy the advancing threats, they're as much your enemy as they are Umbrella's"

Jill quickly glanced towards Carlos then back to Alice, "How do we know you won't attack us too?"

Alice only tightly squeezed the shotgun while gritting her teeth, "I can't for the moment, they won't let me, even if I really want to"

Both knew what Alice meant by this, Griffin had realized that the mysterious helicopter was more of a threat then an attempted raid by known enemies and had 'programmed' Alice not to attack them.

Jill only slightly lowered the gun, "Alright then but you're still an enemy to us"

"Also never will you gain our trust in you with just words" Carlos added. "We'll only fight these people, whoever they are, to stop them from hurting our group that's all"

Alice only glowered at Carlos and grabbing the gun Jill still held to her head, twisted it sharply downwards, taking Jill's hand with it. Jill let out a cry of pain and dropped the gun into the sand.

Shrugging Alice only walked past the pair, "That better not be your shooting arm Jill, you'll definitely have our work cut out for you here"

Hearing a loud thump nearby caused Jill and Carlos to quickly run forward. They saw the crate, which the helicopter had been carrying previously, now resting in the sand. Gunfire came from behind the crate hinting to the fact the armed men that come with it had either run into the Infected or Umbrella's own security.

The crate suddenly began to shake as the wood began to splinter.

Seeing this made Alice grin as she raised her shotgun, "There seems to be more this raid then I first thought"

Jill and Carlos only stared straight ahead watching as the crate disintegrated and a large form stepped out.

"What the hell is that?" Jill whispered.

Carlos only shrugged, "You're asking me? I'd say big trouble"

The thing that began to stride towards the group resembled a strange robot from an old science fiction comic. It had thick legs, arms that ended in gatling guns and a black tinted visor that covered it's 'face' Sunlight glittered across the robot's metallic surface as it continued forward with its two gun arms raised.

A metal ping off the black visor, no doubt from a hidden sniper, caused the robot to slightly turn away and that's when Alice struck. Ever since the robot had appeared Alice had remained still watching its movements. At the same time however the sand beneath her feet began to swirl and rise as gradually a dozen glass shards began to form. Raising her right arm caused the glass shards to encircle Alice as she dashed forward.

Hearing a screech behind them Jill and Carlos turned to see both Umbrella's squads and the mysterious men clashing with a never ending stream of snarling Infected and appeared to be losing their battle as many started to fall victim to the advancing creatures.

"Torn between helping a killer that's been trying to wipe us out since day one and the goon squad, doesn't seem really fair to chose" Jill remarked.

Glancing back towards Alice who was flicking the now floating glass shards towards the robot's visor in an effort to smash through it, Carlos shrugged, "I say Alice is able to look after herself, while she's occupied let's see if we can't find an entrance and perhaps the others"

Suddenly Alice appeared to loose her footing in the sand and in one heavy swing of its left arm the robot knocked her hard to the ground. Before Alice could get up the robot placed one large metal foot on top of her chest and pushed down hard.

Jill had disappeared further into the parked vehicles but Carlos only stood and watched the robot attempt to crush Alice under its splayed foot like a boy who would step on a bug. Alice stretched out her right arm and tried to grab the shotgun she'd dropped earlier only to find that she was a few inches too short away from it. By now the robot's foot was pressing down hard enough that the sound of Alice's ribs cracking could be heard.

Carlos only stood back watching the scene unfold contemplating whether he should help or not. _Alice is our enemy and has done terrible things to people we've known in the past, us in particular _he thought. _Then again if I do help her out maybe she'll back off and allow us all to escape_. But Carlos knew very well the moment the robot and the armoured men had been taken down then Alice would resume her attack on the group, Jill and himself would be the prime targets over anything else.

In mid struggle with the metal foot Alice glanced over towards Carlos and despite her injuries called out to him, "Little help?"

Carlos still felt uneasy in helping Alice, but if he let her become a human carpet it would be forever on his mind, especially since he could've done something to prevent it. Taking aim at the wires in the leg Carlos fired a short burst from the rifle. This caused the robot to release its hold on Alice and step away. As the robot strode backwards in a jerky style Carlos noticed the wires were now leaking a dark liquid substance.

Peering at the droplets caused Carlos to withdraw in horror. _That thing isn't leaking oil… it's blood! But robots don't bleed!_

The mystery behind such a feat was suddenly revealed when the enraged Alice found her feet again and waving her right hand the heavily tinted black visor smashed into tiny pieces. As the robot fell to the ground both of its arm guns shot skywards briefly before they both fell at its side.

Striding forward Alice's face was a mask of rage and as she roughly pulled a screaming man, with a bleeding leg, from behind the shattered glass. Carlos finally understood what the robot really was. _It wasn't a robot at all; it was a man in some kind of metal suit_.

Dragging the man who was now begging across the sand Alice dumped him on the ground. Circling the blubbering man once she flicked her right hand towards him and spoke. Although Carlos couldn't hear what Alice had said, and didn't really want to know, he definitely saw the aftermath.

The man cried out as his legs and arms suddenly straightened and then began to twist at horrible angles as the joints began to unhinge themselves. All this time Alice stood over her suffering victim relishing his screams. With a simple flick of her left hand the man's right arm began to curl in on itself like it nothing more then a piece of soggy spaghetti. Pointing towards his left leg Alice slowly raised her hand causing the leg to bend in the opposite angle. The leg finally broke; the bloodstained bones poking through the fabric of the uniform the man wore. By now the man's begging had stopped as his body began to twitch. Walking towards the man's head, Alice pressed her left foot on the neck and stomped down hard. The twitching came to an abrupt halt as Alice casually walked away and retrieved her shotgun.

Her face still carried an angry expression as calmly went up towards Carlos. Putting away her shotgun Alice took out one of her Uzis and levelled it at him.

"It would be so easy to kill you here and now, I should seeming as you were ready to watch me die," she hissed.

Carlos made no response even though he felt slightly disturbed by the merciless killed he had been unfortunate to witness, "But you won't"

Alice lowered the weapon, "Even I have my standards, you stopped that thing from crushing me when you could have easily walked away, I won't question that but because you allowed me to break apart that sardine can to get to its weak centre I won't shoot, but the debt's been repaid so next time our paths cross don't think I'll be as forgiving"

Then Alice seemed to disappear midst the violence that was going on around the pair, which Carlos was grateful for.

Shaking his head Carlos began a slow jog around the vehicles to look for Jill.


	34. Clones of Me

**Chapter Thirty Three**

* * *

Behind the door Alyssa could hear what sounded like a raging battle, only now the noises were muffled from the heavy steel entranceway. As she quickly walked down the hallway the door had opened up into Alyssa could sense her anger slowly disappearing, now it was replaced with a feeling of alertness. _Where are you Griffin you coward_ she thought when rounding a corner _I saw you run in here why not face me? _Alyssa barely noticed the large Umbrella symbol on the ground or the fact that it slowly opened and something the size of a beach ball floated out.

The only thing that Alyssa did hear was the high pitch whine of the hovering ball machine, as it got ready to fire. Turning quickly she saw that her attacker was a round black ball covered in metal pikes with a single lens for an 'eye' at the front. The ball machine hovered in mid air and slightly split across the middle as its hidden machine gun fired towards Alyssa. Darting past the bullets she glanced up towards the hovering ball. Due to it's spiked exterior kicking or hitting the robot was out of the question but seeing the large black lens gave Alyssa an idea. Again the hovering ball spat out a string of bullets but it was easily avoided. Slowly moving to the back wall Alyssa felt something behind her. Keeping her eyes on the robot she felt the object with her left hand. As her fingers curled around a cold metal doorknob Alyssa lightly smiled.

The mid section of the robot had now shut as it floated in mid air slowly rotating. Pushing down on the doorknob it was quickly discovered that it was locked and the worst was yet to follow. As Alyssa pulled her hand back around she dropped the gun she had been holding. When the gun clattered onto the floor the ball robot suddenly turned to face the noise. Not wanting another barrage of bullets her way Alyssa aimed with her other gun and fired twice. Each round was perfectly on target as they smashed through the glass eye of the machine, which sent it flying backwards. As it hit the nearby steel wall some of the spikes came loose while others dented the steel.

As the ruined body of the robot rolled forward Alyssa watched for any signs of movement. When the machine didn't do anything to hint that it was still operational Alyssa knelt down to retrieve her gun. _Looks like Umbrella doesn't make things the way they used to_ she thought.

Turning to face the door Alyssa realized why it was locked; beside the door was a small card reader. Seeing this she sighed while stepping towards it. _Griffin probably thought that robot'd slow me down along with this locked door, shame he didn't remember what I am_. Sliding her left index finger along the inside of the reader Alyssa concentrated visualizing the metal door opening. After a few seconds the card reader made a dull beeping noise and the locks slid back. Gripping her left hand gun Alyssa slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

Once again she found herself standing in a brightly lit steel corridor only this time there were hallways that branched off and large panels of glass on the walls. Walking past the first panel of glass Alyssa saw that beyond it was a room and she peered in at the occupants behind it. What she saw was both shocking and disturbing.

The three figures dressed in green surgical garments were busy preforming an autopsy on a body that lay on the stainless steel table in the centre of the room. Although the body didn't appear to have a head when looking towards it Alyssa knew it was a female due to the slender shape and higher chest cavity, which were no doubt breasts. One of the surgeons stepped forward and made an incision along the chest then placing the bloodied scalpel back on a nearby trolley took out a pair of clippers and started to cut the ribs.

Alyssa wanted to pull away from what she was seeing but a part of her was compelled to watch on. _I can't believe they're being so casual about it!_ She thought in disgust _don't they know they're cutting up another human being and not a piece of meat!_

The other two surgeons came forward and slowly removed the heart, lungs and liver, gently placing them into white containers. One of them suddenly walked right up to the glass where Alyssa was standing, but he seemed too busy on dissecting the heart to notice. When Alyssa started to back away from the glass however the man glanced up towards her. Their eyes only met for a few moments and the man slowly removed his mask to look in astonishment at Alyssa and smile. By now she was up against the opposite wall and watched as the man half turned to his other associates and spoke to them. The surgeon who had started the autopsy quickly strode across the room and pressed the button on the intercom.

Alyssa had already realized what was going to happen and ran swiftly down the hallway and turned left trying to block what she had just seen from her mind. The way the surgeon had stared back at her confused Alyssa as she ran past several other glass panels. _It was like he hadn't expected me to be alive, maybe some of the workers here don't know who I am_ she thought in bewilderment.

The hallway she had been running down suddenly thinned out to reveal a small foyer with two elevators. The elevator on the right suddenly made a high pitch ping as the doors opened. Having no place to hide Alyssa could only back away slowly as six armed men dressed in black body gear stepped out. The first one who walked out easily spotted Alyssa and motioned for his friends to steadily come out.

"Shit this one's armed" Alyssa heard one of the men whisper.

"I thought they didn't know how to use guns," another said.

Hearing this only succeeded in further confusing Alyssa, what did the soldiers mean, it seemed almost as though they'd seen another Alyssa and the newest one they'd encountered had more bite then previous others.

The leader stepped forward and pointed towards the gun Alyssa had, "Drop it!" he ordered.

Alyssa only shot a dirty look towards the man and gripped the gun even tighter. She was just about to use the weapon when one of the other armoured men fired wires from a taser gun towards her. Both darts sunk deep into Alyssa's left shoulder but she barely felt anything except a mild tingling sensation. Still glaring back Alyssa ripped the darts out and sent them flying back at the shooter. When hitting the man in his upper torso it was quite clear he didn't get the same tingle Alyssa got and fell to the ground screaming in agony while curling up into a tight ball shaking.

By now the other soldiers had formed a half circle around Alyssa and the leader was barking out orders for her to disarm immediately or be shot where she was standing. Alyssa only needed to slam into the nearest men to break through as she ran towards the open elevator. Before going through the doors Alyssa quickly spun around to face the soldiers. Smiling sweetly in their direction she extended her free arm as blue flames began to dance across her fingertips. Pointing down towards the ground caused a medium sized wall of flames to suddenly appear. As the soldiers backed away shouting, Alyssa calmly walked inside the elevator and pushed the button for it to descend.

The doors shut and the elevator made a quiet humming noise as it began to move. A few moments later the elevator stopped as the doors opened.

When Alyssa stepped out she found herself in a semi darkened steel hallway. The sound of a door shutting caused her to stride quickly down the corridor keeping her handgun half raised. It seemed that Griffin had thought that the lower levels made great hiding places. _Or a cleverly designed trap_ Alyssa thought when reaching a white door at the end. Once again the card reader on the side was no obstacle as Alyssa easily 'picked' the electronic lock. Turning the steel handle she took a deep breath and entered. Like the hallway previously the large room was dimly lit. From the entry way to the back wall were tall brightly lit tanks covered in condensation.

Thick wires snaked out from each of the tanks bases and towards a large monitoring system on the left wall. The tanks were arranged in rows of ten, the first having a white label stuck on the black stand the glass half of the tank rested on.

Not sensing any threats in the room Alyssa stepped forward taking in her surroundings. Glancing at the nearest label she saw noticed it had Batch 2 printed on it. Through the thick glass covered in a dewy condensation Alyssa saw a misshapen form, no doubt floating in some weird medical goop deep in a comatose state. Walking past the tank Alyssa slowly went down the small hallway the tanks created listening to the faint hum that came from the machines, _I've found Griffin's monster room _she thought _but what the heck was he making down here, some kind of new life form or worse?_

Alyssa was suddenly compelled to wipe the condensation away from one of the tanks, her curiosity over powering the need for revenge against a former tormentor. Reaching out and touching the cold glass surface she slowly pulled her hand downwards. The phrase 'or worse' barely described the shock and terror that Alyssa felt when seeing the contents of the tank. The gun she was holding clattered to the floor. Shakily retrieving it Alyssa glanced up to see…herself.

The other Alyssa was naked and curled up in a foetal position as they floated weightlessly in green liquid. Seeing this was enough to make Alyssa turn away as she began to shake while moving forwards in a type of daze. Putting the gun in its holster Alyssa went up to another tank and brushed away the droplets on its smooth surface. This other 'copy' of herself was in a worse off condition then the first, their left arm had been completely torn off from the shoulder. Red tatters of muscle and shards of bone protruded from the horrific injury.

Alyssa stepped away from both tanks unable to find words that would describe the situation. _Griffin was making clones…clones of me! Why though, what was he trying to prove?_ Her knees suddenly felt like jelly but Alyssa stood firm and strong not wanting to give into the urge to collapse. A steel clipboard beside the one armed clone's tank caught her attention and with shaking hands she picked it up.

There were mostly reports written in a medical lingo that Alyssa couldn't understand yet there were a few phrases that she knew very well. Sentences like 'Shows suitability for military application', 'Entire batch appears to have no sign of inheriting original's capabilities' and even 'Genetic structure in last three specimens similar but lacks the stable balance possessed only by the original' exploded from the pages with enough force to show Alyssa what needed to be done. _He planned on making an army, but it looks like that's impossible seeming as Griffin doesn't have the original…me_ Alyssa thought shivering while placing the clipboard down _it's about time I threw a monkey wrench in the gears_.

Turning back towards the room Alyssa couldn't help but feel a slight chill creep up her spine, there were more then just a handful of tanks in the room. The number more over boarded to one hundred, each tank containing a clone. Breaking from the glowing corridor Alyssa faced a cement wall that had other monitoring equipment and a few steel gurneys leaning against it. Further downward four other tanks stood separately away from the rest but for the moment Alyssa ignored them.

Suddenly one of the clones began to thrash wildly about inside the tank. Walking up to it Alyssa wiped aside the water droplets and watched as the clone gradually became still again. A wild thought crossed Alyssa's mind, one that she would regret having later on.

Keeping her hand still on the tank Alyssa concentrated on the clone's mind.

_Open your eyes_ she thought.

Glancing towards the clone Alyssa saw that their eyes hadn't opened.

_Wake up and see me_

Suddenly the clone's eyes flew open and Alyssa gasped and stepped back. The green eyes that stared back at her were filled with shock and surprise as they eyed the one who had called them from the depths of sleep. Careful not to lose her concentration Alyssa continued.

_You can hear me in your head can't you?_

Slowly the wide-eyed clone nodded, her gaze never leaving Alyssa.

Taking another step back Alyssa broke the connection as she studied the tank the now awake clone was in. Now she could begin to understand the scientist's and soldier's reactions when they first saw her. They assumed that Alyssa was a clone that was more developed in capabilities then the others. Staring back at the clone Alyssa sighed while feeling a bout of sadness bubbling within her. _They have no further use; they're only destined to be cut up in a lab_. As her eyes fell over the thick cable to the tank Alyssa took one last look towards her clone as tears began to form at her eye's edges.

Striding forward Alyssa could faintly sense the clone's confusion; they had no idea what she was about to do. Gripping the thick cable in both hands Alyssa pulled it crying out as she did this.

Dropping the cable to the ground Alyssa turned towards her clone, tears steaming down her face, "I'm sorry" she whispered, "I'm so sorry"

The effects of the cable being removed were instant. The clone floundered underwater for a few moments, at one time pressing a hand up against the glass as their lungs filled with the green liquid they had been slumbering in. Then the struggles ceased and the body floated lifelessly in the tank.

Alyssa had moved away from the tank while the drowning clone slowly died. Feeling the cold cement wall against her back Alyssa slid down it and onto the floor. Bringing her knees up close to her chest Alyssa rested her head on them. Her loud sobbing echoed throughout the expansive room for a few minutes then abruptly vanished like mist in the early morning.

Wiping the tears from her eyes Alyssa slowly stood up careful not to let her gaze fall on the floating still form in the tank. Not wanting to see her latest 'victim' Alyssa walked the opposite way towards the four separate tanks. Her only thoughts were of escape, Griffin's retribution would have to wait. Alyssa found herself thinking about the expansive room she was in when nearing the four tanks. _There's so many, imagine what would happen if they were all like me_ she thought _it would be the perfect army… nothing could stop it_.

Placing her hand on one of the tanks Alyssa then pulled away laving a wet handprint on the glass. Staring through the shape her hand had made she realized why the four tanks were separate from the rest. _Griffin wasn't just cloning me…_ Alyssa's thoughts trailed off as the droplets of water slowly slid down.

Like the others, the clone was asleep, it's naked body curled into a tight foetal position but its face wasn't as menacing as the original's was. The expression on their face almost appeared to be kind and angelic, there was no trace of the smirking sneering facial features Alyssa knew all too well.

Staring back at the Alice clone Alyssa felt sorry for it. Never would it live a life of freedom, instead it was most likely destined to share a fate that Alyssa's own clones had to endure, another piece of meat to carved up by sadistic surgeons. She first contemplated for a few moments to set them free, they most likely wouldn't act like the original and could have a chance to escape but Alyssa dismissed it. _One Alice is bad enough, how do I know that Griffin hasn't put chips in all of their brains too?_

Easily locating the thick cable for the life support to the tanks Alyssa pulled them out one by one. _I'm saving them from a fate worse then dying on a steel table_ she thought when pulling the last cable free. But Alyssa knew very well that reassuring herself wasn't going to cut it. She acknowledged the fact that murder was still murder especially if they were defenceless victims, as the sleeping clones couldn't fight back. _Unlike mine, she tried to escape but only drowned and there was nothing I could do_.

Staring back at the clones who were still floating in the their tanks Alyssa turned way from them and started for the door. _I have to get out of here and as far away from this place as possible_.

The images that she'd take from the room however would take a long time to repress.


	35. Alyssa's Deja Vu

_This is it the final three chapters in this monster novel epic of mine are finally here and trust me they were worth waiting for. The last chapter before the epilogue has one of my favourite scenes from Extinction rewritten to suit my series standards try and find it, trust me you'll be very surprised to know what it is, I'm always ready to answer any questions via email and I thank all of those who have read this story and left reviews from the very start! _

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Four**

* * *

Due to her initial shock, Alyssa had taken an unlikely detour that gave the impression it had been picked out for her. When nearing a sliding door it automatically hissed open when she approached it. So did the elevator that started a downwards decent when she stepped inside.

Alyssa was still in a dream like state after viewing the room's contents. She could still see the large darkened area with it's brightly lit tanks containing… Shaking off the thought Alyssa suddenly realized that during her brief lapse she was now standing in a large foyer. Confused she took a step forward to see three corridors in front of her light up. Glancing around the foyer Alyssa had a strange feeling that she'd been in the exact room before. _Only the desk wasn't made of steel, the chairs were large comfortable ones and the walls weren't made of glass_ she thought.

The corridors also prompted her curiosity and approaching the middle hallway Alyssa stared down it. Down the end was a steel door, which caused her to frown. Originally she thought that Griffin was running and hiding from her hence the initial chase but now Alyssa suddenly realized she had been purposely led here. _What about the other room, did Griffin plan on showing me that? _She thought bitterly. Taking one last look around the room Alyssa sighed and took a step forward. No sooner had she done this then a transparent door silently slid down preventing any escape back to the foyer. The hallway lights slightly dimmed as the walls uttered a low buzzing noise. At the end of the hallway where the exit was several thin beams of light began to dance back and forth.

Alyssa first watched the bizarre display in confusion, almost mesmerized by the darting lasers. It was only when the beams switched their movements from playful to dangerous did Alyssa come to the conclusion that the beams of light were dangerous threats.

The three beams suddenly rushed towards Alyssa at a frightening pace. Instantly her heightened reflexes kicked in allowing Alyssa to somersault over the laser waist height, she ducked below the second highest and rolled forwards to avoid the last beam. The lasers passed down the hallway and Alyssa saw her chance to run towards the doors. The lasers however weren't finished and sensing something behind her, Alyssa half turned then threw herself to the ground as one of the beams came at her again.

The beam followed Alyssa downwards catching her off guard. Pressing herself to the floor Alyssa felt the heat of the laser as it passed over her. A further two more came, this time racing across the floor where she lay. Again the same thing happened, as Alyssa leapt up so did the laser beams. Jumping through them she nearly avoided being decapitated by another beam that had been 'hiding' behind the other two. Stealing a quick glance towards the door made Alyssa understand the reason for the lasers sudden change from being easy to avoid to matching her movements. _They're trying to stop me from reaching the door_ she thought. Again the lasers came but despite their 'intelligence' being that they remembered all of Alyssa's previous manoeuvres to dodge them, avoiding them was easy.

The ceiling had caught Alyssa's attention during the constant dodging of lasers. There as a thin metal platform that stretched all the way down the hallway, in the centre of the platform were metal bars that reminded Alyssa of a type of ladder. The lasers didn't appear to go all the way up the top; they were restricted to the brightly lit glass walls. _If I could only get up there…_

When the lasers rushed towards Alyssa a third time they began to swiftly bob up and down, preventing her from avoiding them, but Alyssa had her own plan. Leaping to the left side then to the right she quickly worked her way up towards the ceiling, wiggling through one of the rung's large gaps she swung herself up on top of the platform. Only once did she lose her footing on the smooth surface but reached the ceiling just in time for the lasers to pass beneath her. Slowly Alyssa inched forward aware that the corridor had gone silent save for the dull buzzing. It was only when she reached the halfway point of the hallway when it happened.

A single thin laser beam began to sprint towards Alyssa on her ceiling perch.

"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered.

With her feet still in the rungs Alyssa dangled upside down as the beam crossed over her. This only caused the lasers down below to activate and crisscross while slowly rising, as though to prevent her from jumping down. As the beam above her passed by again Alyssa noticed a large gap appear in the crossed lasers.

Seeing her chance she let go of the ceiling and shot straight through the hole. But it wasn't without consequence. One of the beams flicked forward and although Alyssa managed to avoid it by sharply moving to the left she still received a terrible burn that ate through several layers of skin. Alyssa didn't feel the injury but she knew the laser had cut into her flesh, she'd almost grown accustomed to not feeling any pain but the seeing the injury still caused a reaction which made Alyssa flinch away as the scent of singed skin hit her nostrils.

Rolling forward Alyssa stood up to see she was inches away from the door. Moving to check on the lasers caused her to turn the doorknob even faster. The beams had formed a net that covered the entire corridor including the ceiling. Quickly opening the door Alyssa ran out and slammed it behind her. A metal click told her the door had locked making retracing her steps impossible. Glancing around the new room Alyssa slowly took in her surroundings.

The room was decorated to resemble something from a movie set with pictures of idyllic scenes and people dressed in medieval clothing decorating the walls, a short wooden table in the centre of the room with a silver candlestick holder in the middle and at the far end was an angel statue that was half covered by a thin layer of plastic.

As Alyssa strode forward she quickly glanced at the cut she received from the laser. The beam had sliced through the blue jeans she wore exposing a large patch of pink hairless skin which a few moments ago had been a dark shade of red. The T/G strain was already busy regenerating the injured cells; soon there would barely be a scar to show what had happened.

Turning back to the table Alyssa ran her hand across its polished surface. Once again she felt that the room was familiar to her from the tiled floor to the hanging chandelier. She could vaguely remember sitting at the table like the one before her a long time ago. It was after her father had exposed her to the T/G virus and he was holding a dinner party. It had been one of those rare occasions that Alyssa was allowed to mix with other people without fear of infecting anyone. _But this wasn't our house; we never lived in a mansion_ Alyssa thought as her mind drifted back to the dinner party.

It had only been a year since the infection and she could recall as a toddler stumbling around the long table, at times bumping into the various dinner guests. Thinking back to the dinner gave Alyssa chills, something had happened to change a regular social event into suspicion and lies. She could faintly recollect falling forward and pulling at the white tablecloth. Sharp knives suddenly fell towards Alyssa but they never hit her, instead they appeared to collide with an invisible barrier inches from her body and bounced harmlessly to the floor.

The only other images that came to mind was her father scooping the now crying younger version of herself up into his arms, the shocked faces of the guests as they whispered while looking at Alyssa's father were very clear. _Why am I remembering this? It's not like I could pull something like that off again, I have enough to deal with in this time frame let alone repressed memories that randomly surface when I touch an object like a table! _

Hearing a click from across the other side of the room made Alyssa take out one of her handguns as her eyes darted around the area searching for the source of the noise. She didn't have to wait long as a line of fire ate into the table. Jumping away from the ruined table Alyssa quickly ran behind a large marble pillar. Slowly peering out she just caught a glimpse of the shooter, which resembled a hovering black metal spear.

Close by another 'spear' moved and fired a string of bullets at the pillar causing parts of it to shatter into large chunks. _Can't stay here have to find another place!_ Alyssa thought frantically. Running towards another pillar she barely missed a third spear robot that shot forward seemingly from nowhere and began its own bullet barrage. Dropping to the tiled floor Alyssa went into a half crouching position as the machine flew over her. With her free hand Alyssa pointed towards the robot as it attempted to turn. Sparks of blue electricity arched forwards and hit the hovering spear causing it to spiral to the ground as smoke issued from its sides.

In the time it had taken Alyssa to short circuit the single robot the other two spears had circled her and were preparing to fire which their tiny gatling guns from underneath their stream lined bodies. Although Alyssa had sensed the approach of the pair she didn't have time to react as both opened fire in unison. Closing her eyes Alyssa could only wait for the bullets to make an impact. _I'm about to become Swiss cheese_ she thought. But when the bullets didn't hit her Alyssa slowly opened her eyes to see a strange sight.

The bullets from the guns on both robots now lay harmlessly in a semi circle at her feet. Still confused at what just happened Alyssa moved instinctively from the robots as they fired again. This time however she saw the reason for the bullets not making an impact. They seemed to hit an invisible barrier before falling to the ground. _Just like the knives all those years ago_ Alyssa thought _I wanted to be safe so I made a way of protecting myself_.

Glancing at her left hand Alyssa realized she'd subconsciously clenched her fist the second time the guns had fired. At first she thought that it was Umbrella's doing being that once again they had gained control of not only her body but also the abilities granted by the virus but Alyssa knew deep down inside another of her repressed powers had re surfaced once again. Gripping her handgun and standing up Alyssa watched as the robots slowly circled her trying to find a way past the barrier. _Might as well put what I have to good use seeming, as I can't ignore it_ she thought while raising the gun.

Rushing forward Alyssa dissolved the barrier and quickly spinning around shot one of the machines twice in the front 'arrowhead' part. The damaged robot still shakily hovered but with a flick of her left hand it flew across the room and smashed into the wall. Turning to face the last spear Alyssa dodged to one side as it fired a string of bullets at her. Aiming for the spearhead part of the robot she was caught off guard by it suddenly darting away from the gunshots.

The spear then sped towards Alyssa, the sharp end of its head pointed straight at her upper torso. Quickly sliding the handgun back into the leg holster Alyssa first leapt up on top of the table then preformed a backward summersault that hit the tip of the of the sharp spear with enough force for it to collide with a nearby marble column causing the thin frame of the robot to snap in two pieces like a brittle twig.

Slowly climbing down from the table Alyssa heard the sound of squeaky hinges as a door opened. Fearing another attack she turned to see a large wooden door on the opposite side of room slightly open. Seeing this made Alyssa uneasy about what lay beyond the door. The moment she'd pass beyond them they'd slam shut and lock so she'd have no choice but to face what horror lay in store. Looking up towards the ceiling Alyssa could faintly make out the black lens of a camera. _He's watching me_ she thought _mostly likely leading me towards something worse then floating spear robots and laser rooms_.

Passing by the ruined table Alyssa cautiously pushed one of the large wooden doors open and waited. When nothing but silence came she quickly steeped outside while taking out a handgun and pointing it down the brightly lit hallway. When no hidden danger revealed itself she continued forward keeping constantly alert for the slightest amount of movement. To her surprise there were no concealed enemies that jumped out at her when walking down the corridor despite the fact it seemed very similar to the laser tunnel.

Nearing the metal door Alyssa tensed up, so far her little walk down the hallway had gone unnoticed. Reaching forward and touching the cold silver doorknob she half expected to hear a metal click followed by rapid gun fire as a hidden enemy attacked. But when turning the doorknob nothing of the sort happened, it was the stillness of the hallway that had become disturbing.

The room that lay before Alyssa varied from the other two she'd previously entered. The main difference was its size; the room seemed as large as a football field. The lights high above had been purposely dimmed allowing shadows to creep across the bare cement floor. There were also an assortment of steel shipping containers and what appeared to the remains of half finished houses.

As Alyssa stepped forward she glanced up towards the ceiling and saw a strange ball like object hanging by a thin thread. She soon realized the object wasn't a ball but some kind of machine, which reminded Alyssa of a large metal spider. All thick eight legs were holding onto a thin silver thread as the spider hung from the centre of the room. The robot however showed no sign of seeing Alyssa and continued to hold onto the thread upside down. It wasn't until she had reached the middle did the silent room with its giant spider chandelier come to life.

Approaching the side of the room that had the metal containers Alyssa could see quite clearly through a large gap the metal door leading onto the next stage. But seeing her exit within a few metres made her stop. _This is too easy _she thought _something should've happened by now_. The silent dimly lit room seemed to read Alyssa's mind for no sooner had she stopped walking forwards did a slow grinding noise nearby echo across the cement walls. Looking up towards the metal spider Alyssa briefly caught it stretching one of its legs. But it was movement on the ground level that caused her to step back while keeping a tight grip on the handgun. Even before the threats were fully visible Alyssa sensed them and what their blood carried.

Slowly three sets of red pinpointed laser eyes appeared from the shadows as a low throaty growl issued from the closet. At first glance the two Rottweilers and single Alsatian seemed to be animals that had been infected with the virus. It explained their appearance, which was similar to all virus carriers being that their skin had decayed and fallen off in some places. But as all three dogs got closer Alyssa realized there was more to the creatures then just being the by products of an experiment involving the T-virus. All three dogs had thick metal collars around their necks; one of the Rottweilers had a steel cap on its broad head while the other had metal claws on its feet. Along the black furred Alsatian's left side a large piece of riveted steel had been fixed on.

All three dogs circled Alyssa while snarling and she could sense their hunger, despite being partly made of metal they still longed for the taste of flesh. The black Alsatian suddenly leapt up and pushed Alyssa to the ground with its massive paws. Wrestling the dog off her, Alyssa quickly got to her feet in time to see the door she came through slam shut and the spider robot start to twitch and uncurl itself. Dodging past the two salivating Rottweilers Alyssa sprinted past them and climbed on top of one of the metal containers. Below her several other metal dogs had appeared and circled the container growling.

Seeing this Alyssa sighed. _Trust that wacko Griffin to make this a challenge, I knew he wouldn't just let me walk through, good thing I enjoy challenges_.

The spider droid suddenly let go of its thread and dropped from the ceiling landing on top of one of the half built houses crushing it. A small cloud of dust spread over the area where the robot fell. The robot's heavy metal footsteps echoed through out the room as it scuttled forward.

From where she was, Alyssa couldn't see much but she didn't need her abilities to know the spider machine was coming towards her. Looking down below Alyssa saw that the dogs had scattered but were still close by. Jumping down onto another container she quickly leapt back down to ground level in time to hear a high pitch yelp of a dog followed by a swishing noise.

Darting to the left Alyssa narrowly missed a flying jagged edged disk that flew straight at her. The disk continued on its course until it embedded itself in the metal side of a nearby container. Turning to look down the hallway the containers had created Alyssa saw the reason for the dog crying out. Although the body was at the end of the hallway she could easily see that it had been cut into two unequal sizes. _But where did that disk come from? Those dogs couldn't have shot it out, its way too big_ Alyssa wondered. _Either it was the walls or maybe the…_

Alyssa never finished her thought as the large pack of metal dogs was suddenly charging towards her. Raising her handgun Alyssa easily brought the three lead dogs down, each with a bullet to the head. The other four dogs skidded to a stop and stared back at her with their cold machine like eyes. The whole ordeal was becoming too much for Alyssa, she was frustrated and only wanted to escape from the maniacal playground Griffin had forced her into.

Screaming out in frustration towards the remaining dogs caused two of them to come rushing forwards. Again Alyssa fired her gun and the pair toppled to the ground as lifeless heaps. Only the large black Alsatian and a scrawny Rottweiler remained. Frustration was now replaced by anger in Alyssa as she stalked towards the dogs and for once she didn't try and repress the emotion.

The Alsatian bounded towards her snapping its steel-trap jaws. Alyssa pointed at the advancing dog and visualised it flying into the metal wall. Sure enough the animal flew up from the ground and slammed into the wall letting out a yip of pain. Striding towards the growling Rottweiler, Alyssa quickly shot the twitching Alsatian before focusing on the final dog. Pointing her gun at the dog Alyssa only heard an empty click. As though the Rottweiler could sense that its prey was defenceless it let out a terrible metallic howl before running forward. Sliding the gun back into its holster Alyssa then leapt up and kicked the dog under its snout with enough force to break it. The rapidly twitching corpse slid to a stop a few inches from her.

Glancing down at the body Alyssa could easily see how lethal her attack was, the head of the animal now hung limply at its side but there was also something else. Thin coloured wires poked out from the furred neck of the dog, a few still spat sparks. Seeing this Alyssa frowned, _No wonder I couldn't properly sense them, they were part robot_. The opposite end of the hallway darkened and Alyssa causally glanced up towards it.

Crouching like the spider it resembled was the robot from the ceiling. Upon sighting the robot Alyssa slowly backed away. _I forgot about that thing_. Due to its large bulky body the machine couldn't fit through the narrow corridor but it had other ways of reaching its quarry.

As Alyssa reached for her other gun the spider robot extended a thick rod from the back of its body. Four metal disks suddenly flew towards her. Easily dodging them Alyssa was shocked to see the disks come flying back. Back flipping over two and rolling to the ground to avoid the other pair she was able to call on her newest ability to stop the disks. As soon as the four disks hit the invisible barrier they clattered to the ground.

Hearing a crunch above her Alyssa looked up to see the spider robot was no longer on the ground but above her. One of its front feet swung downwards and sliced into Alyssa's shoulder. Realizing her barrier no longer existed Alyssa put her left hand to her shoulder and began to run through the tight hallways ignoring the warm blood flowing through her fingers. The robot followed closely behind jumping from box to box. By now Alyssa had lost sight of the exit and as she approached one of the unbuilt houses managed to crawl behind a counter in one of the rooms as two more razor disks hit the plastic frame.

Getting into a half sitting position Alyssa examined her latest injury. With the constant blood flow and the darkness of the wound it appeared that the bladed foot had cut straight to the bone. When squeezing her bloodied hand Alyssa could see the red stringy tendons in her arm tense up. _Better my arm then my head_ she thought.

Hearing a heavy metallic crunch not to far away Alyssa peered out from behind the counter. The spider robot had come down from the containers and was now standing motionless. Seeing the robot standing so still but close to the metal crates gave Alyssa an idea. Glancing towards her feet she spotted a small piece of cement. Wiping the blood from her hands Alyssa quickly snatched the piece of cement up then aiming for the robot's head threw it.

The effect was instant; the spider robot swiped the air with its front bladed feet then resumed its statue imitation. _So it only reacts to movement, I can use that to my advantage_ Alyssa mused. Gathering up a few more pieces she started to throw them in different directions while slowly creeping forward. The robot completely ignored Alyssa as it attempted to find the other sources of noise.

Despite the machine being distracted by the constant shower of cement Alyssa still had to avoid its razor tipped arms that would swipe the air as it turned. Gradually she silently worked her way towards the metal containers and when jumping up on top of one the distractions ceased. Slowly rising Alyssa saw the spider robot had barely moved from its original position. Standing over her foe made Alyssa think back to a few action movies she'd seen. Whenever the hero of the film was in the same position they'd always shout out some corny line or whistle to their enemy to grab their attention before jumping on them. _But this isn't a movie this is real and if I don't time this right I'm done for _Alyssa thought worriedly. Waiting for a few more moments Alyssa then leapt from the container and landed in the centre of the robot.

Straightaway the machine reacted to the sudden heavy weight on its back as it weaved back and forth in a vain attempt to get rid of its unwanted passenger. Glancing towards the black panel underneath her, Alyssa didn't hesitate in smashing it with a well-aimed punch. Ignoring the glass shards in her hand and the blood that dripped down her fingers Alyssa placed her injured hand on the blinking console of the robot's brain. She then unleased a powerful jolt of electricity that caused the console to smoke and some places melt. The robot suddenly collapsed onto the cement floor, its feet spreading out beneath it.

Stumbling away from the wreckage Alyssa began to pull the shards of glass from her hand while looking for the exit door. _I shouldn't have pushed myself I'm drained I can barely walk_ she thought while shaking her head to ignore the onset of a dull headache. The rest of her journey was a blur to Alyssa; she had no recollection of how she located the exit or even managing to escape from the underground labyrinth. The only thing that snapped Alyssa from her daze was the harsh sunlight and the sound of gunfire.

Blinking her eyes at the bright glare Alyssa almost missed running into a bullet riddled zombie wearing an army uniform, which was lurching towards her. Not wanting the rotting corpse to come any closer she grabbing one of its skinned arms then taking a hold of its neck twisted to the right sharply. As the body fell to the ground Alyssa slid down the side of the wall, the fight with the robot spider finally taking its toll. Through the gunfire and shouting voices she heard one sound that sliced through her mind like a red-hot knife.

_Get up kid you still have some fight left in you, or have you gone soft?_

Looking past the dancing bodies and glaring sunlight Alyssa saw where the voice had come from.

Standing a few feet away from her was Alice, she was holding the twin samurai blades each dripping in blood, and narrowing her eyes at Alyssa she spoke again.

_Looks like we had fun in the little obstacle course, if you give in now you'll be a much easier target for me to capture later on so by all means Alyssa take a nap but then I'll get you and Griffin will make sure you'll never escape again_.

At first Alyssa couldn't understand what Alice was trying to say, it seemed like she was warning her. When Alice spoke again inside Alyssa's head her tone had changed.

_On your feet weakling or would you prefer the Dark Place? That's where Griffin will put you, which is fitting for a pathetic child such as yourself_.

By now Alyssa had, had enough of being threatened and as she struggled to stand up she saw Alice grin.

_There that wasn't so hard to do, I can sense your anger and there are still plenty of enemies left if you get my drift_.

The bright sunlight caused Alyssa to momentarily turn away though when she looked back towards where Alice was she realized her rival had disappeared. _Did I just see that?_ She thought _I must be going crazy if I imagined my enemy giving me advice to carry on_.

Shaking the bizarre event off Alyssa knew created or not she had gathered enough strength to continue onwards and hopefully be reunited with those she called friends.


	36. All problems solved?

**Chapter Thirty Five**

* * *

When Alyssa slipped from Nemesis's sights the giant began to grow anxious. As gun fire echoed across the outside of the facility Nemesis grew even more worried. So wrapped up was Nemesis in his thoughts of concern for the sudden disappearance of Alyssa that he didn't even see the large group of heavily armoured men leap from behind one of the cement corners of the mansion.

The group of ten appeared to have suffered tremendous injury already as they circled Nemesis while pointing their guns at him yelling words that the monster couldn't understand. He could make out a few of the phrases such as 'infected' and 'take down' but Nemesis was already batting the men aside as he stomped through the rapidly disintegrating circle, there was still the matter of finding Alyssa. When a bullet whizzed past the giant's right ear he turned to see that one of the armoured men was pointing a handgun, with a shaking arm, straight at him. Before Nemesis could react a loud throaty roar behind the group caused all them all to turn around in time to see Deception jump over the closet few before slashing outwards at his newfound enemies while snarling. The Hunter was partly covered in blood already and had not come alone. Infected suddenly sprang from all different directions that resulted in distracting the group of men.

The man with the shaking arm had not fallen for the surprise appearance of Deception and the Infected and continued to eye Nemesis while speaking rather quickly. As Deception got closer to Nemesis, the shaky arm man trained his gun on the smaller monster. He never got to fire the weapon however as Nemesis grabbed a hold of the man and with one easy swing threw the now screaming shooter into the mass of swarming Infected that were easily overwhelming the rest of the group. When Deception finally reached Nemesis who was standing still watching the carnage unfold he could sense the monster's distress at losing Alyssa. It was a different story inside the mind of Nemesis.

The time it had taken Deception to back away from the armoured men and Infected, Nemesis had sensed Alyssa close by and judging by the signal she was giving off was in danger of suffering further injuries. Glancing towards Deception, Nemesis roared loudly before running off in large strides around the side of the facility the men had come from. Deception had no choice but to follow, he wanted to escape this strange testing place not only in one piece but also with those he'd travelled with across the desert.

* * *

The large white tent that had been hidden behind all the vehicles beckoned to Jill, with good reason. Carefully walking along its sides she strained her ears listening for any noises within, this was no easy feat with all the other sounds such as gunfire and the occasional screech of a battle frenzied Infected. Reaching the front of the tent Jill paused momentarily before parting the plastic flaps of the tent and stepping into a world of blinding white. As her eyes quickly adjusted to the white surroundings Jill could easily see a row of four computers, one with a bullet hole through its screen and other familiar medical equipment scattered around the room. Passing by a stretcher with restraints Jill absentmindedly touched one of them as a shiver went up her spine. _They knew we were coming and this was going to be…_ her thoughts were shattered when a shadow darted past outside the tent.

As the flaps to the tent were parted quickly and a figure stepped in breathing heavily Jill pointed her magnum at the new arrival not caring if they were human or not.

"Jill? It's me," the figure said cautiously.

Slowly Jill lowered her weapon to see the sweat drenched face of Carlos, "Geeze I almost put a bullet in your head, I thought you were…what happened before? We both ran off together and then when I turned around you weren't there and I…" she trailed off "I thought the worst, seeming as an enemy of ours was in such close proximity"

Carlos only shrugged, "I don't think we have to worry about any enemies for quite some time, they really have their hands full since the Infected and those other soldiers broke through the fences"

But Jill was still reeling over the fact that she could have easily shot Carlos without even thinking, she'd been so wrapped up in avoiding the various types of enemies that it hadn't crossed her mind that the other members of the team were still out there. She could only watch in a half trance like state as Carlos began to explore the room and examine the intact computers.

"These two are connected to the security cameras but this last one" he then glanced up at Jill, "I think we can use this to our advantage"

Snapping out her current state of mind Jill walked over to the monitor and noticed that Carlos was now staring at her with a look of concern, nudging him gently aside she smiled, "I'm fine, though I think the heat is really staring to get to me" glancing at the screen Jill first assumed she was looking at a schematic of one of the Sphere complexes however on closer examination she realized it was more then just an outlay of the labs. "Carlos, I think we've found the mainframe," she breathed.

"The mainframe? Sounds too easy Jill, Umbrella just doesn't place a tent out in the middle of a battlefield and have easy access to their most secret bases for their enemies to just walk into and toy with" Carlos pointed out.

Jill only shook her head, "Maybe it was guarded and they didn't expect the place to be over run with Infected and unknown enemies, we should make the most of this while we still can, looks like whoever was here only had time to lock down all the facilities and sound the alarm for security" she then tapped on the keys bringing up a command screen, her fingers hovering over the silver keyboard, "I wonder if they use all the same system as the other complexes we've been to, it'd make our job a hell of a lot easier to shut these places down if it was"

A loud burst of gunfire nearby followed by a throaty roar caused Carlos to stare towards the opening of the tent, "Well I think for all our sakes we better hurry"

"Now who's the jumpy one?" Jill remarked smiling as she typed on the keyboard.

"I'm only stating the obvious, we're caught in a cross fire between what appears to be Umbrella's rivals who seem quite happy to literally crush their competition with any means necessary"

"You mean like the robot before, which I assume Alice eventually took out?"

"I didn't stick around to see… I was too busy looking for you and the others" Carlos lied, he still hadn't gotten over what he'd seen despite the man in the metal suit being an enemy he didn't deserve the punishment Alice had so brutally dealt out.

Jill suddenly sat back grinning from ear to ear, "Well that's one thing Umbrella didn't learn back at the Glasshouse Mountains" she then looked towards Carlos, "I think it's high time we both lived up to the reputation they've given us, time to do some damage with a few keystrokes"

* * *

Once again the satellites had proven to be ineffective as visual was lost with not only the cameras all around the facility but also with the two monitored subjects and it was starting to get to Griffin. He was just about to leave the observation room when Tracey suddenly called out to him. Stopping and turning around Griffin saw not only a worried Tracey but also the concerned faces of all the other research team members.

Griffin only sighed and was about to speak when the lights temporarily blinked off before switching on as a low humming sound filled the room, he was well aware what was going on but decided to ask the question anyway, "What just happened?"

"That's what I was about to say, someone is attempting to shut down all the power to S-1, whoever it is, aren't doing a very good job, they're slowly going through the complex room by room instead of taking out the entire grid for each level" Tracey replied.

Griffin simply stared back at the schematic of S-1 his anger slowly rising, there was only one available terminal that was still logged in to the mainframe and that was the single computer in the observation tent. It seemed that the not so diligent Paul had left his post, which was further pissing Griffin off. _That fool's incompetence is going to cost this facility_ he thought in anger.

"The entire lower level's power outage has been cut, that includes all available holding cells to test subjects and life support for the deactivated clones!" Donald spluttered.

"Soon it'll be the whole complex, we'll be trapped if the power outage disables the locks"

Ignoring Donald's outcry Griffin glanced towards Stacey, "Is it possible to bring up the cameras for the observation base that is outside?"

Tracey only nodded and within a few minutes the screen on the monitor began to replay the most recent footage captured before the power collapse. It first showed Jill, one of the lead rebels, cautiously entering the tent followed by her partner, Carlos a few moments later. Seeing this made Griffin slightly calm down, it hadn't been the mysterious men from the black helicopter but the matter still needed to be dealt with.

_How dare those criminals disturb my research, they've trespassed onto very dangerous ground however_ Griffin thought smiling.

Stepping away from the screens Griffin took out the small slim lined remote, "Reactivate all unaccomplished objectives in Project Alice, it's time we closed this chapter on these renegades for good"

* * *

The various commands that suddenly flashed across Alice's vision were ignored due to what lay in front of her. With the constant bombardment of Infected she had lost track of Alyssa's position, finding the girl however was easy when hearing the roar of Nemesis close by. Rounding a corner Alice saw the large bulk of the monster bending down towards a fallen form, near the pair was the Hunter who snarled as Alice approached while flexing his clawed hands.

Seeing the Hunter's actions only made Alice roll her eyes while moving forwards slowly taking out her two black handguns. _Screw the other orders I can get kill two birds with one stone without the rebels interfering_. She only grinned back at Deception while levelling her guns, twice the Hunter had wounded her and gotten away with it now with little room to manoeuvre the monster would have a hard enough time to simply slash and run the other way. Instead of attacking however Deception turned slightly and made a loud throaty roar which caused Nemesis to look away from Alyssa and towards the new enemy that had appeared.

"Don't waste my time Nemesis, we've been in a similar situation before remember?" Alice taunted as she raised the handguns. "This time however there's more at stake, these guns do more damage to you and your little friend if fired correctly and I never miss"

Nemesis only eyed Alice while standing his ground and roared while clenching both fists, once again the monster had made the message quite clear that he would rather die then see those he cared about be recaptured by former tormentors.

Ignoring the scrolling words across her vision for the second time Alice flicked the safety switch off both weapons and shrugged, "Too bad about your choice, I thought that you would've changed by now, my mistake"

Before Alice could go ahead with her threat an assault rifle sounded off not too far away, the bullets peppering the ground close to her feet. Turning away from both monsters Alice saw Jill and Carlos standing a few feet away both glaring back with looks of hate.

"Hey, you want to fight something how about us?" Carlos called out forcefully. "You're nothing but a childish bully that's been given guns to play with"

The orders this time weren't ignored and without further hesitation Alice fired back at the pair who spilt and ran past her. Following both Jill and Carlos while grinding her teeth caused her to miss them helping Alyssa up and sprinting around the side of the building with the two monsters following closely behind.

Once again anger took the better of Alice as she pursued the disappearing rebels. _Cowards! The whole lot of them, why didn't they stand and fight?_ She thought in frustration. Still gripping both handguns Alice stepped out from behind the wall to notice that across the battlefield of corpses and feeding Infected that the group had disappeared. By now her anger had reached its high point, two targets had slipped from her gaze and giving a cry of frustration shot the closet Infected dead centre in the head. As the blistered corpse slumped onto the ground one of the large transport carriers began to move slowly forward, driving over the mass of bodies in the sand.

The stern face of Carlos only briefly glanced towards Alice as the truck turned and began to make its way towards the now open gates to the facility. Without even stopping to think what the outcomes of her actions would be Alice ran forward leaping over any obstacle that was in her way, aiming the guns at the large uncovered fuel tanks of the vehicle. _They won't leave this place alive; I'll see to that, those pathetic weaklings won't know what hit them_. By now Alice didn't care about anything else, even her other objectives which mostly concerned recapturing Alyssa and not harming the girl had been completely ignored.

The white truck had almost neared the gates and Alice still hadn't backed away from her pursuit. The scrolling objectives had long since ceased but a different kind of distraction now entered her head, the ringing was at first soft and easy to ignore however when it came around a second and third time Alice fought hard to simply step aside and discontinue her current mode of actions. _Go ahead Griffin use your loud noises, this time I'm not walking away and if your precious Alyssa has to suffer then so be it_.

A large squad of soldiers suddenly ran towards Alice and stood in front of her, raising their rifles in a threatening gesture. She didn't even care to notice if the squad were from Umbrella or otherwise and wasted no time in shooting two members in the chest while continuing her advance. One of the men barked an order out towards Alice as he attempted to hit the left hand gun from her hand, striking outwards with her right hand caused the man to fall backwards as his nose gushed blood, faintly she heard his heart slowly come to a halt but Alice was more focused on the truck then anything else. The other members of the squad had now realized that halting Alice would only result in their own deaths and parted as she strode past them.

Feeling a burst of freedom Alice continued forward grinning like a maniac, she felt as though nothing could stop her and even Griffin's own attempts had failed. The large silver fuel tanks were almost out of view as the fleeing vehicle began to disappear from sight; in a few more minutes the tanks would be unsuitable targets. Aiming towards them she was just about to pull both triggers when it happened.

Alice's vision suddenly plunged into darkness as her body froze to a dead stop and silence and stillness took over.

* * *

Ever since the attempted shut down of the Sphere, Griffin had been on edge, as it was due to the rebel's interference a few of the electrical connections had overheated and shut down manually, it would take several weeks to repair all the damage done to the facility. Glancing back towards the screen that showed the 'Alice cam' in motion he noticed that she'd located not only the two rogue monsters but also Alyssa who appeared to have suffered after her initial run through the testing grounds. _You survived all the traps and perils, I can't wait to see how you did it Alyssa_ he thought.

For a few more moments Griffin only stood and watched the screen as Alice approached the pair of monsters, both had their backs turned and already the guns held by her were slowly rising up. Despite the fact that Griffin wanted Alice to carry out her actions the pair appeared to be very tired and there was a chance that they could be easily taken down with minimal damage.

He turned towards Donald and the two other male lab techs, "Call all remaining squads to the east entrance"

Looking back at the screen Griffin then met the gaze of Tracey, "Have the objectives to take down the rebels been reactivated yet?"

Tracey nodded, "Yes they have been for sometime"

"Remind Project Alice what her true mission is again, we can't risk being sidetracked, not now when those criminals are so close" Griffin replied in a weary tone, it started to grate his nerves whenever Alice would deviate from her set objectives due to the various grudges she harboured. _None of this will happen in the near future, not when the X series is brought to light_.

Griffin had only glanced away from the screen for just a few moments when Tracey suddenly shouted out to him. Snapping back around he noticed that the view had changed from being focused on the monsters to a large white carrier transport that was slowly moving forward. Once again the twin black handguns rose up and aimed at the vehicle's tanks. Glancing towards Alice's vitals on a separate screen showed her brain to be alive with activity as her heart started to beat faster and her muscles began to tense up.

Something had pushed Alice to a point of no return and Griffin knew once she'd entered the final stage of her anger nothing would stop her until the source of it had been completely annihilated.

"The rebels have taken one of the carrier rigs," Tracey said.

"Your point being?" Griffin replied in an annoyed tone. "Why is this a concern? In a few more moments we'll have rid ourselves of those criminals for good, without one of their leaders that group of renegades will surely collapse"

"Specimen 8940 along with the Nemesis unit are in that truck which is currently being targeted by Project Alice, if you let her follow through with shooting the fuel tank then the explosion will incinerate all of them" Tracey pointed out.

Griffin suddenly froze as his smiled faded, no longer was he in charge of the situation, it appeared the rebels were running the show now. _Clever, very clever using Alyssa as a shield so they can make their escape, they're more ruthless then I first thought_. His mind however switched from being calm to bordering on panic when seeing Alice draw closer towards the truck, the guns still in plain view.

"Have the alerts been set off?" Griffin asked.

"They've reached level three and she's still ignoring them, I don't think they're going to stop Alice" Tracey replied.

"What about the sniper towers? They have orders to open fire"

"I'm not getting anything from them, either the communications are down or they've been taken out"

Griffin quickly turned back to Donald, "Get security to cut Alice off before she reaches that truck"

As the squads circled Alice, Griffin easily knew they wouldn't hold her off for long. Two of them fell almost instantly, each bleeding from a single gunshot wound to the chest while another was unfortunate enough to receive a sharp uppercut to the face, which no doubt had enough force to send shards of bone into his brain.

"She's gone out of control," Donald suddenly spluttered. "Oh shit Project Alice has gone rogue!"

"Calm down all of you" Griffin said harshly. Looking at the screen one last time he sighed, he'd hoped that Alice would've kept her usual unstable personality under control when dealing with the rebels, however it seemed once again despite all the recent 'conditioning' he'd given her it would always be the same, the hate Alice carried for the rebels would never disappear. Glancing back to the now worried Tracey he shrugged, "Shut the system down"

Tracey only blinked at Griffin while frowning, "Sir?"

"Do it, shut Project Alice down, that's an order, if she destroys that transport then we'll lose the corporation's single most valuable asset and I'm quite sure you don't want that on your mind Ms Kingly!" Griffin snapped.

Cringing from the outburst Tracey hurriedly began to type in commands as her long fingers danced across the keyboard. The blue screen in front of her suddenly went dark while the words _System Shutdown_ flashed across.

Feeling a slight tinge of anger Griffin ordered Tracey to place a timer on the system to reboot in five minutes before rushing out of the room and back down the corridor. Going outside Griffin noticed the soft rays of the dying sun and the air now carrying an icy feeling when it lightly blew past him. Looking out across the battlefield of broken bodies and dying men he noticed a single figure standing alone and rigid near the metal fence. Getting closer Griffin met up with the remains of the squad that had been ordered to take down Alice previously.

"Are the snipers still in position?" Griffin asked the squad leader.

The leader, who had a dirty sweat stained face only appeared confused and at the same time frightened while approaching the motionless Alice, "We lost communication with them soon after the raid, a large group of those creatures got to one tower but as for the other two…" he then trailed off as Griffin only nodded and motioned for the squad members to form a tight circle around his 'bodyguard' there would only be a few minutes remaining before the implant would reboot and reactivate Alice.

Quickly removing the dropped handguns from the sand along with the shotgun, Uzis and swords Griffin stood back and waited, counting down the seconds until the glazed blue eyes that now stared across the landscape would blink and become more animated.

Suddenly both eyes fluttered as Alice shook her head while putting her left hand to the side of her face cringing as though getting over a bad headache. At the same time the squad all cocked their weapons at her, the metal snickers sounding off in unison. Alice only stared back towards Griffin appearing confused to what had just happened.

Griffin only stared back, while crossing his arms and looking upset, "Frankly I'm disappointed in you Alice, I've seen all I need which proves that you are crossing the boundaries with those emotions of yours" he then gestured towards the armed soldiers. "Now under the circumstances if a superior's order was refused then the one who disobeyed it would be shot on the spot, no inquiry and no questions, however being what you are I'm afraid I can't do that, you're a valuable bio-weapon despite your many faults"

The circle then disbanded as the soldiers lowered their weapons and began to back away. Griffin only watched them go with a calm gaze before turning back to Alice.

"This little incident almost cost this company because you can't learn to control your violent urges to destroy anything that moves, I should report this anomaly to the committee so they could authorise me to further update your programming but where's the fun in that?" Griffin snapped, he then leaned in closer, "I know you were wanting to kill them all including Alyssa, you failed in your mission and current objectives which is very upsetting"

"What did you do to me, why can't I remember?" Alice hissed flashing Griffin a dirty look.

"Think of it as a reminder, if you don't want any more memory lapses I suggest you follow orders from now on, it'd make it easier for both of us, I won't go to the committee with this but remember today very well so the next time you decide to pull a little stunt such as breaking ranks again these events will come to mind" Griffin commented. "I can go much deeper with the programming Alice, this is only the tip of the iceberg and I'm pretty sure you like being able to choose to do things for yourself at the moment"

Alice began to say something else but Griffin cut her off when raising his right hand, "Do you understand what has been said to you?"

Clenching both fists Alice found herself replying back with a phrase that had been previously programmed into the implant, "Yes Dr Griffin" she said nodding stiffly.

Stepping away Griffin only smiled cruelly, "Good to see that we're both on the same level again, I think it's for the best that you keep out my sight until I send for you, I'm going to be busy for a few more hours before we leave the Spheres, there's nothing else we can do here for the moment"

Watching the smug Griffin walk off Alice waited until the doctor was out of sight before retrieving her weapons that had been piled to one side during her blackout. Putting all the weapons away she could only stare back across the desert landscape as the sun began to set, unable to express the emotions that had been brewing inside of her. _How dare he force me to say phrases like a trained parrot!_ Alice thought angrily _I'll continue to resist even if it means temporarily forming a truce with enemies just to make you suffer Griffin_.

Thinking about the brief cooperation with Jill and Carlos made Alice faintly smile, it appeared that Griffin didn't like helping other enemies out and had become disturbed by what he had to do protect his own skin.

_Just another weakness you've unwillingly revealed to me_ Alice thought as she began to pick a path through the rotting corpses and back towards the facility.

* * *

The moment the white carrier transport had been safely out of range Carlos gave a loud cheer before turning to face Jill who only smiled back at him.

"I think we can say that went reasonably well, at least one of those Spheres won't be in operation for a long time" Carlos remarked grinning.

"It's just a shame there's still three more of those labs out here in the desert," Jill said as her smile faded. "All those experiments with the T-virus are still going to continue"

"Come on Jill stop being so serious, we screwed up Umbrella's plan with what they've been doing out here and by he looks of things they even had to call off their strongest weapon in order to deal with the damage we did back there"

"I don't think Griffin called Alice off" Alyssa suddenly spoke up as she faced the pair. "There's very little he could've done to stop her from shooting at us, I had the impression there was more to what happened before, did you notice how Alice suddenly went still as though she couldn't move?"

"Sorry I was too busy avoiding the Infected that were trying to tear out the front fender to notice" Carlos shrugged. "Either way we all got out alive"

Jill had noticed Alyssa had gone quiet again and looked towards her, "Something wrong?" she asked softly.

Alyssa only shook her head, "I'm just really tired…that helicopter who were those people?"

"You saw them too?"

"Not really, all I saw was a black helicopter fly over the mansion once when I came back outside, I may not know a lot about the vehicles Umbrella uses but I know that helicopter didn't belong to them" Alyssa said while yawning. "I'm just…kinda glad we left that place I didn't like what I saw there"

Seeing Alyssa turn back to look out of the window made Jill repress any urge to force the girl into saying anymore about what she'd just said. _The kid's had a few hard weeks, whatever she saw must've messed her up pretty bad but it's not my place to say anything_ Jill thought as she too turned to look through the windscreen at the dying rays of the sun across the desert.

"Well don't think this adventure is over yet," Carlos said breaking the awkward silence.

"What do you mean by that?" Jill asked frowning.

"Frank said he'd only be in the Birdsville area for a week now and if I'm not mistaken we've taken a little bit longer then that to travel through this desert so…"

"We've driving all the way back to Cairns?" Jill finished as she glanced up towards Carlos. "That's insane we'll never make it plus two members of our team aren't really suitable for passing through the security checkpoints"

"I really love it when you get all serious and sceptical at everything we do, glad to have the old Jill back" Carlos said smiling.

"It's all part of the thrill isn't it?" Alyssa spoke up.

Turning Jill saw Alyssa's tired eyes staring straight back at her but also noticed there was a kind of twinkle to them, her body may have been tired but it was clear to see that Alyssa's fighting spirit hadn't given up. Faintly from behind the seats there came a dull growl, which caused Jill to throw both her hands up into the air as she sunk down into the seat.

"You're all crazy" she said then glancing over at Carlos Jill nudged him in the ribs, "You especially"

"What can I say? I love action, just try and keep me away from it" Carlos smiled.

All sceptic thoughts aside Jill couldn't help but laugh at the remark as Alyssa and Carlos joined in as well, however there was one thought that still plagued her mind and it would stay there until the fight against Umbrella was over. _We won for now but they'll get stronger and so will we_.

Continuing forward the large truck bounced over the desert landscape and into the fading light leaving a faint dust trail in its wake.


	37. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The observation room was now as silent as a tomb. In order to watch the data feeds from Alyssa's test Griffin had shooed all of the staff out so he could be in peace. Watching as Alyssa skilfully avoided the lasers in a confined space proved entertaining but Griffin knew very well the girl's heightened reflexes would allow her to progress to the next stage of the test with ease. Still he watched as Alyssa entered stage two, just like her clones, she was cautious when walking inside the lavishly decorated surroundings, keeping her handgun slightly raised.

The three Viserators in the room had locked onto Alyssa the moment she entered and immediately began their method of attack. Alyssa's mode of counteracting her foe's assault was creative and aggressive. Griffin watched in fascination as Alyssa destroyed one Viserator by shooting bolts of electricity at it. _Such a spectacle of power_ Griffin thought in awe as the smoking robot crashed to the ground. _How strong you've grown, so confident with your abilities_.

Suddenly the other two Viserators dove towards Alyssa at different angles and opened fire. It seemed that the girl was oblivious to the unexpected attack and crouched on the floor with her arms wrapped around her head in a defensive position. What happened next shocked Griffin yet at the same time made him smile. It happened so fast yet the effect of it was powerful.

As the two Viserators opened fire at the vulnerable Alyssa, the bullets appeared to hit an invisible wall and fall harmlessly to the ground. Alyssa seemed to be shocked as well, yet managed to keep the barrier up when both machines shot at her again. Pausing the video feed Griffin rewound it to the precise moment the barrier had come into being while searching for any sign to indicate its sudden appearance. When the Viserators closed in Alyssa had clenched her left hand. Seeing this Griffin sat back in the chair smiling, _Such a magnificent being you've become Alyssa_.

When Alyssa finished off the two remaining robots with a combination of her telekinetic abilities and weapons it caused Griffin to turn away while feeling a mild sense of frustration, _Perhaps if she'd been disarmed the test would have been different, no matter Alyssa seems to have a perfect balance between using her ability and primitive weaponry_.

After the first batch of clones had been created Griffin had tossed around the idea of arming them for the tests. He had allowed one of the earlier clones to 'find' a handgun in one of the draws of the bedroom setting but the results were disastrous. Due to clone's blank and naive nature, the gun had somehow backfired several times into their upper torso killing the clone in a matter of minutes.

_Besides I only want the strongest, those that have abilities closest to the original_ Griffin thought as he watched Alyssa flee from a pack of Interceptors.

The door to the observation room opened and the sound of steel capped shoes clicking across the metal surface echoed throughout. Turning around quickly Griffin was surprised to find a serious faced Henry who was holding a few pieces of paper in his hands while breathing heavily.

"What is it Henry? Can't you see I'm very busy" Griffin replied wearily.

At first Henry didn't say anything, then he shoved the papers he was holding towards Griffin, "This is something the committee should know about"

Without even glancing at the papers Griffin only sighed, "Enlighten me"

"But aren't you going to…"

"I find it easier if you told me Henry unless you've forgotten it already" Griffin said cutting Henry off.

"The blood sample you took earlier has entered its infectious stage"

Griffin didn't need further explanation to know what Henry had said, "Which one?"

Henry's face remained serious as he shifted uneasily, "I think you already know Dr Griffin"

Picking up the small pile of stapled papers from his lap Griffin flicked through them, "How long ago did this happen?"

"Four hours ago after the sample was taken from the subject, the process was slow at first but a later examination confirmed that the viral cells are indeed contagious should the specimen choose to transfer their blood onto a victim"

"It could have been a fluke or the sample may have become contaminated during the transport process, have you taken those factors into account?" Griffin replied calmly as he tossed the report on the computer console.

Hearing this caused Henry to become slightly frustrated as he stomped his right foot hard on the ground while wringing his hands, "But sir do you have any idea what this means? The subject interacts with the public and is in the vicinity of many secured areas, all it takes is one drop of blood and anyone close to them is infected, they're a walking bio-hazard and I can't believe you're being so casual about this!"

Griffin remained unaffected by the outburst and only crossed his arms, "Well then Henry how do suppose we deal with such a pressing issue?"

"I'm sending a copy of my report about this to the committee, they have to know about this threat"

"Oh we can't have that happening, why imagine if the director was alerted to the fact that we've been interacting with a human subject that is contagious? The painful antivirus procedures would last for months not to mention you'd be out of the job"

Henry only took several steps back while shaking his head, "I'm willing to risk that, I was going to send the report without telling you but I knew it was wrong to go behind people's backs but now all I see is weak attempt to cover your own arse, I can't allow other members of this research team to be in danger of infection, you're too reckless and I hope when the committee finds out they revoke everything you're entitled to, including a fair trial!"

As Henry turned his back on Griffin and started for the door he heard his name being called. Slowly he turned around to see that Griffin was no longer sitting down but was instead standing a few feet away from him, his face still wearing that calm placid expression.

"Before you storm off on your own private crusade just answer me this, have you told anybody else?" Griffin asked cautiously.

"We're the only two who know, but soon the committee will be aware of it as well and not even you can stop me from telling them" Henry said curtly.

Griffin only nodded appearing to have accepted the fact that in a few short minutes his career would soon be over, then without warning took out a small black slim lined handgun and shot Henry in the centre of the head.

Henry's face didn't even have time to register shock as the body toppled to the ground.

Striding over to the console Griffin picked up report folded then shoved it into his left lab coat pocket. Approaching the cooling corpse of Henry, Griffin first took out a hankie and proceeded to rub all of his fingerprints from the barrel.

Placing the gun in the right hand of Henry, Griffin slowly stood up while shaking his head, "I did give you plenty of warnings you were on thin ice Henry, consider yourself fired but thank you for the report I'm afraid it was all in vain it will never be passed on to its respective recipients, can't have something valuable taken away from me because of paranoia that would ruin both mine and my associates plans"

Walking over to the phone near the door Griffin picked up the receiver and punched in a number, "This is Dr Dennis Griffin here, I've just entered the observation room and discovered that Dr Bartleby has killed himself, send a clean up crew down here immediately to remove and dispose of the body"

Hanging up the phone Griffin exited the room; he had far more pressing matters then disgruntled employees to worry about. _There is so much preparation to be made before Alyssa returns back to her true home_ he thought while walking down the steel corridor. _Now that the girl is growing stronger it will prove beneficial when she finally submits to the conditioning that has been put into play, then nothing can stop me_.

The lights in the main corridor flickered as the sound of Griffin's footsteps slowly faded away.

* * *

_The End_

_Hope you all enjoyed reading my novelised version of my series more to follow soon!_

_Exalted Nemesis_


End file.
